Stranger Things of 1995
by Strange.Imagination
Summary: In 1985, Eleven and the Byers left Hawkins, Indiana. The nightmare seems to be over as normal took over their lives—especially El who never recovered her abilities. Ten years later, after the Party reunites, they discover the threat from Upside Down is back to haunt them. To finally end the Mind Flayer for good, El and the Party must return to where strange things came.
1. Prologue: The Runaway Sister

**PROLOGUE: The Runaway Sister**

**Netflix's STRANGER THINGS belong to THE DUFFER BROTHERS**

* * *

**Chicago, Illinois**

**April 17, 1995**

The van made a hard turn in an attempt to evade the four police cruisers in pursuit. Sirens broke the silent city and the blaring sound has been annoying Kali for almost twenty minutes. She expected to lose the cops after taking their planned escape route but these ones are far relentless than she anticipated.

"A little waring would've been nice!" The Mohawk-sporting Axel yelled, shoving a cackling Dottie aside.

"Mick, take the next intersection—there's a tunnel through there," Kali calmly instructed her accomplice. "These guys are starting to annoy me."

Mick gave a frantic nod; she precisely knew what Kali has in mind.

They had just crossed out another name from their long list of targets—Thomas Green, a former member of Brenner's core group in Hawkins Lab. Kali enjoyed making him suffer and was indeed satisfied when the man stopped moving. _'Monsters like you need to die…'—_those were the last words her latest victim heard. There were more out there and ever since the rumors of Brenner's fate got to her, the fire of vengeance burned more intensely.

_I'll find him. He's mine. Brenner is mine._ Kali thought to herself, pain and hate swirled inside her. She was locked inside that hell so many years, and her so-called _Papa_ was the demon overseeing her torture. Kali subconsciously scowled as a memory came to her mind.

"_Eight…" _She remembers Brenner's haunting voice talking to her_. "You have gifts that are beyond the world's understanding—I will help you learn how to use them… properly."_

_Thanks for teaching me… I'm going to use my gifts to kill you…_

"What the hell is wrong with these pigs?" Axel muttered, knuckles turning white as he tightened his grip around his pistol. "They don't even seem to slow down!"

"Cops are cops, pal." Funshine grunted. "These ones are just the type which doesn't give up a chase. Their determination is admirable but not for long."

Axel shot the big man an irritated look. "You're joking, right? You're admiring them?"

"Oh, oh, is Kali gonna—?" Dottie giggled, not finishing her sentence as the thought came to her. She gave Funshine a lopsided grin. "I can't wait to see them go oopsie."

Behind them, their pursuers were almost catching up to the van.

"Everyone, hold on to something!" Mick managed to shout as she made another sharp turn. Funshine, Axel, and Dottie braced themselves as their vehicle recoiled and then sped forward. The tunnel was now visible to Mick's relief.

Kali took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She slowly raised her right hand before her, curling it into a fist. She felt her herself navigate through the minds around her. She first felt Mick's then Funshine, Axel and Dottie. Kali pushed further and she finally found them. She noted eight officers; two in each vehicle. She moved to the cop driving the lead vehicle—Kali tensed: _this one feels familiar…_

Concentrating, Kali conjured a scene where the tunnel entrance collapses as their van passes through. She exhaled and began projecting it to her target. A small smile escaped her lips. _Get ready for a show, Chicago…_

"Boom…"

Kali felt the projected scene happen as the van passes through. Still smiling, Kali wiped the blood that trickled from her nostril. Axel and Funshine let out a triumphant cheer as Dottie sang a nursery rhyme for a victory song. Kali gave Mick an assuring nod but their celebration was cut short when the sirens didn't fade out.

"Kali, they're still at it!" Funshine said in alarm. "Didn't the projection stop them?"

"There are still four of them," Mick pointed out. "What's going on Kali?"

Kali couldn't open her mouth to say something. She has the same question right now—"I-I don't know."—she stuttered. "It should've worked; what the hell?!"

"The van can't outrun the cops forever." Mick told no one particular. "We need these guys out of our tail now!"

Collecting herself, Kali took out her gun. "Near the tunnel is the abandoned warehouse Funshine and I checked yesterday; it was supposed to be our hideout until things cool down. Fortunately, there's an entrance to the sewer tunnels in there—I'm sorry Mick but we'll be ditching the van."

After protesting for a second, Mick finally sighed in agreement.

* * *

The warehouse was indeed abandoned; a few lights glowed, a futile attempt to repel the darkness. Kali and her gang immediately jumped out the van as soon as it went idle. Funshine loaded his pistol and led the way inside. Kali was the last to enter; the cruisers are already parking along the highway. From the lead vehicle, Kali watched a woman wearing a red leather jacket come out handgun and flashlight ready.

_Why does she feel so familiar?_

Funshine navigated through the dimly lit area, knowing the exact location of their exit.

"_Sonofabitch!_" Axel grumbled under his breath. "This is actually the worst shit we've put ourselves into, and that's something!"

"It's kinda exciting though, right?" Dottie teased nervously.

"Whatever tickles your fancy, darlin'," Axel said sarcastically.

Hearing the police barge in and seeing the beams from their flashlights, Kali lifted her pistol, ready for anything. "We need to get going."

"Cops are gettin' close, Funshine," Axel hissed, brandishing his weapon. "Let's go!"

"Calm down ladies," Funshine snorted. "We're close, just a little—"

"Freeze!" A cop's voice cut through the air. He was alone but it won't be long until the others come to back him up. "Drop your weapons, now!"

Kali didn't waste time and fired a random projection of a monster at the police officer. The man suddenly backed away in fear and started shouting—"What the hell is that?!"—taking aim to shoot the air.

_Great, that's definitely going to attract all of them._

"Go." Kali snapped. Her companions didn't need to be told twice.

They finally got into a room where the sewer hatch is and Dottie was the one to go down first. Mick climbed down next and as Axel started to go down, Kali heard the cops come closer. She looked at Funshine and then at Axel who stopped mid-descend.

_I'm not letting them get caught. _Kali told herself. Her friends—her family of misfits has always had her back and she doesn't want to have them arrested.

"You two need go," Kali said, receiving objections from both Funshine and Axel. "When they get to this room, it's basically game over. I'll distract them while you escape. Trust me, I'll catch up—"

"Kal, it's too dangerous!" Funshine insisted. "There's too many of them, let me stay and help."

Kali gave her 'warrior' a smile. "I won't be alone, Fun."

* * *

Kali made as much noise as possible as she ran away from the secret exit. It wasn't long until three cops appeared and chased after her. Using her powers, Kali conjured projections of her friends and shoved them inside her pursuers' heads. She got the confirmation that her tactic worked when the three were reduced to one. She kept running and with a quick maneuver, Kali stopped just in time to land a heavy kick at the unsuspecting officer's face. The man fell, groaning then going out cold. Kali grinned and ran back to the room with the sewer entrance.

Before she could enter, she saw the woman from a while ago, talking to another cop. She was leaning her back against the door with her arms crossed; her gun now holstered. The woman's face was obscured by the darkness, making the red leather jacket her most notable feature (Kali assumed she was an undercover cop of sorts, judging from her outfit). Kali planned to give use the same horrifying projection she used before but she paused. When Kali felt the woman's mind, she got the same familiar feeling back in the van.

Not really knowing why—she chose not to use her powers.

"—this gang has been spotted in different states for almost twenty years." The cop with _Little Red Leather Jacket_ was saying. Kali moved closer to listen.

The other officer—not in uniform as well—continued his report: "They've committed crimes specifically homicides and robberies; investigations linked to these thugs reveal that their targets consist of people who used to work for the government. They seem to get away every time, and this is the very first time police got them cornered. We'll be taking in their vehicle and hopefully, we get more information about these guys."

"They're still around the warehouse, Valdez," The woman sighed. Kali froze when she heard her voice. "The exits are covered; the perps must have other means of escaping"

"Back up's heading this way." Valdez assured. "Jenkins, Wilson and Lee radioed that the perps are headed towards the doors. Our boys will be waiting for them when they get out."

The woman shifted and that's when Kali saw her face.

"I need to talk to their leader; the one who goes by the name 'Kali'," She said. "I'll be interrogating her myself."

"You sound very interested with this 'Kali'," Valdez noted. "Must have a reason, huh?"

"I just love conversing with…" Red Leather Jacket mused as she fidgeted a blue hair tie in left wrist. Kali watched her smile—a smile she has never seen for eleven years. "People… who lose their way."

Before Valdez could say something, white noise came from the radio. "—two of our boys just lost sight of the perps—we got an officer down: Jenkins—found unconscious. We didn't intercept anyone in the exits—"

"This is Detective Hopper," The woman confirmed. "I'm with Detective Valdez. We'll be joining you shortly."

Kali didn't move as the two detectives leave.

_Jane?_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

This story takes place ten years after the events of season three. The storyline will align to the third season's ending. The time gap is necessary because I aim to tell a story that happens in the Spring of 1995. In this timeline, Hopper died during the Battle of Starcourt and El moved away from Hawkins with the Byers. Since those events, everyone in the Party eventually moved out as well. Despite the fact that they've been separated by distance, the Party remains undaunted by the years.

I've been entertaining the idea of seeing the kids as grown up lately, and thus the story is born.

The Prologue opens with Eight/Kali who will play a role in the events of this story. Eleven, after ten years become a detective in Chicago—an obvious influence/inspiration from Jim Hopper aka her Dad. Mike and the other Party Members (including Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, Robin and Erica) have also grown up to become mature adults.

If anyone would try to guess who the bad guy is, I'll go ahead and say it's the Mind Flayer—who is clearly not yet done with Eleven and her friends. Ships are sort of in default settings (i.e. Mileven, Lumax, Jancy and etc.)—I ship all of 'em.

Updates may be irregular but I'll try to upload chapters as successive as I can manage. By the way, I'd love to have the readers point out errors and things that really need correction.

Coming soon… Chapter One: The Reunion

* * *

**Netflix's STRANGER THINGS belong to THE DUFFER BROTHERS**


	2. Chapter 1: The Reunion

**CHAPTER ONE: The Reunion**

**Netflix's STRANGER THINGS belong to THE DUFFER BROTHERS**

* * *

**Pasadena, California**

**April 22, 1995**

Mike was late.

The flight from Japan left him so jetlagged that he immediately collapsed in his hotel room. When he woke up, the warm California sun has already crept inside. Mike pulled himself out of bed and checked his phone and it was basically filled with multiple messages from his friends. Groaning, Mike flopped back to the bed—he stared blankly into his phone, reading the texts. The first one was from Dustin; it was obvious that among the six of them, he's been very excited for this day:

_Rise and shine, Mike! It's the Party's Springtime Reunion and I need everyone to be present—especially you, Mr. International. Will and El arrived together last night from Chicago; Lucas called and he's on the way with Max. And remember: 8 on the dot—8._

Lucas' was next: _Hey man, Max and I are at Dustin's. We'll be meeting at Russell's Diner. See you later._

Then it was another from Dustin: _Mike, we're on our way to Russell's. Where are you?_

Will's message was subtle: _Mike, we're at Russel's. Waiting for you guys._

Max's made Mike freeze:_ Mike, are you with El? Will said she left before we got to Russell's._

And another one from Dustin—Mike could imagine him yelling: _Are you still asleep, Mike?! If you are then get your sleepy ass moving!_

A second one from Lucas came next: _Dude, where are you? El's here._

Finally, El's: _Mike, where are you? Dustin insists that we cannot order until we're all present. Getting worried. Hope you're okay; send me a text ASAP, okay?_

After that were all from Dustin and Mike didn't bother to open them. He sluggishly stood up and since he was already late, he decided to just go with it. He went to take a quick shower then put on the first shirt and pair pants he found in his bag. His head was throbbing really bad now—_damn jetlag._

He's been traveling around the globe right after he graduated college and yet Archeologist, Dr. Michael Wheeler never got used to it. Being recognized and recommended by his university, Mike was employed by the renowned, Hector Gerson: the man who is basically Indiana Jones in real life. Mike didn't hesitate to take the offer and thus he became the youngest member of Dr. Gerson's team. Asking his boss to take a week off to visit friends and family wasn't a struggle at all as Dr. Gerson kindly allowed him almost instantly.

Before leaving, Mike sent a reply to El: _Sorry. Woke up late. Jetlag but I'm on my way. You guys go ahead and order. Tell Dustin to relax._

* * *

"Ladies and Gents, our Party leader has decided to come." Dustin—clearly annoyed—announced sarcastically when he saw Mike enter the diner. "Let's give our paladin a round of applause, shall we?"

Mike bowed gracefully then proceeded to make his way to the table. After taking the seat next to Eleven, Mike gave his friends a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry I made you guys wait—" Looking at directly at Dustin (who was giving him the stink eye) before continuing. "—but I'm here now and I'm so happy to see all of you. So please, forgive me?"

"The Party gets to decide, Michael." Dustin stood up and coughed, still grumpy. "Is Sir Mike pardoned for his mistake? It is by the rule of—"

"Jesus, Dustin," Max interrupted. "Can we please get something to eat already?"

Lucas couldn't help but laugh at Dustin's surprised reaction. The Party's Bard held up his hands in surrender and sat down. He grumbled something about letting women join the Party. The five of them laughed at Dustin who later joined in too. The Party is once again united—though Mike didn't say it out loud, he really missed them.

After the summer of 1985, El and Will left Hawkins. Two years later, the Wheelers moved to Seattle making Mike the third Party member to leave. Max and Lucas went to California together in 1988. Dustin was the last to say goodbye to their once quiet town.

"_Too many ghosts," _El said before leaving with the Byers. The scene ten years ago played over every time Mike thinks of Hawkins. _"That's what Joyce told me…"_

Joyce was right. Ever since Will vanished to the Upside Down, Hawkins gradually transformed into a home of nightmares; of monsters like the bad men and the Demogorgon. The painful memories left Hawkins haunted—only ghosts roam the place all of them once called home. Leaving kept the haunting at bay but certainly not forever.

The waiter arrived with a pen and notepad, taking their orders. Mike had to explain to his friends why he was so late. El put a hand on his shoulder and assured him that it's fine (much to Dustin's irritation). When Mike's eyes met El's, Will couldn't help but notice them have some kind of mental conversation—which wasn't really possible since Eleven isn't telepathic and she lost her abilities ten years ago. Their intense staring was interrupted when Max playfully nudged El's shoulder.

"Someone really missed the late comer," The redhead teased. It seemed effective as El shifted uncomfortably with an awkward smile while Mike let out an uneasy laugh. Noticing the tension, Max raised an eyebrow at the two of them. "You two are acting weirder than usual."

"Weird was my default." El shrugged, silently asking her bestfriend to change the subject which only made Max confirm something's off with their strange actions.

"Uh-huh, right." Max mused. She looked at Dustin who just finished talking to the waiter. "So Dustin; what's the big news you've been so eager to tell all of us? You kept spoiling details about it nonstop last night."

Dustin's eyes lit up, remembering the reason he was so excited for their reunion, until Mike came in late. He gestured his friends to come closer, making them lean forward. "Remember when I told you guys about applying for Dr. Robert Crawford's new research?"—all of them recalled him mentioning it last Thanksgiving and nodded. Dustin beamed, flashing his now-perfect teeth. "I was accepted into the project by Crawford himself."

"Wait, you mean you'll be working with _the_ Dr. Robert Crawford?" Lucas' jaw dropped. "Is this the same Dr. Crawford who won three Nobel Prizes—for his Advanced AI, the Super Battery and Chaos Field Theory?"

"He personally accepted you as in he talked to you face to face?" Will added with amazement in his voice. "The famous scientist whom we had been looking up to since the seventh grade acknowledged you and actually took you to be part his work?"

"And I thought having Indiana Jones as my boss was cool." Mike jumped in.

The guys were evidently filled with awe but the two women in their group exchanged puzzled glances. Max shot a _'what's-with-the-nerds?'_ look to El who shook her head, obviously confused as well. Before the four could speak further in nerd, Max cleared her throat.

"What's so special about this guy?" She asked stressing her annoyance.

"Did you miss the part about him owning three Nobel Prizes?" Lucas gave her a sigh of disbelief. "He's a genius! Mr. Clarke had told us about Dr. Crawford and we've been following his story ever since! He's basically a hero to science!"

"And one of us will be working with him." Dustin pointed out gleefully.

"It's the dream!" Mike yelled, attracting the attention of the neighboring tables. He sunk back to his seat and whispered: "He's the youngest guy to win the Nobel three times—Crawford was seventeen when he went up the stage for his first award. The guy's an absolute genius."

"Right…" Max scoffed as she rolled her eyes and yawned.

On El's face was the expression she had when Mike taught her new words like _'promise'_ and _'friend'_. She watched as Lucas unsuccessfully tried to get Max interested with Crawford—with Dustin, Mike and Will backing him up. She smirked at the scene. She was so occupied with work and watching her silly friends bicker about some scientist seems to be something she needs right now.

The summer of 1985 really changed everything but the Party remained intact. When the six of them went for college, they agreed to meet up at least twice a year: Thanksgiving and their annual Springtime Reunion. Occasionally, they would also spend Christmas and New Year together in the cabin they bought in Long Island. El's mind wanders to the Christmas Eve of 1991—she was cuddling with Mike in the cabin's living room with the fireplace crackling softly before them. Despite Will's voice echoing instructions from the kitchen, Max's laughter at Lucas panic on the burnt pasta, and Dustin snoring peacefully in the couch nearby, Mike and El were silent; content with each other's presence. _That was four years ago._

"So aside from Dustin, anything new with you guys?" Will asked out of nowhere when the food arrived. Dustin frowned when Will specifically crossed him out the question. "Since you get to travel a lot—" Will sighed when he noticed his friends eye each other. "—what's new, with you Mike?"

"Well my team's currently in Japan," Mike said. "Dr. Gerson was tasked to excavate a hidden temple found in an uncharted island. We're working with the local archeological team and so far we've only managed to dig out ruins of an ancient Japanese Village."

"Do you get to carry a whip and wear cool hats like Indiana Jones?" Dustin snorted but Mike just brushed him off.

"You guys are living the dream," Lucas mumbled, getting everyone's attention. He looked at them, realizing he blurted his thoughts out loud. "Um, okay. Uh, well, as you guys know I work for Lawton Industries and trust me it sucks."—catching a glimpse of Max scowling at his direction, he quickly added: "I mean, the pay is good—being an accountant for a corporate agency pays really well—but the workplace is painfully boring. Nothing interesting happens there. I have this co-worker who is always making jokes that makes anyone cringe!"

Max shook her head, clearly unamused. "Okay, while my fiancé here complains about his miserable job, I'm doing just fine with mine. Who knew Max Mayfield, the skater girl from California would return one day as a medical prodigy? To all those who doubted me, they can... oh."

Her voice faded when she saw her friends staring at her with their eyes wide. She looked at Lucas who was frozen as well. "I just let that detail slip out too soon didn't I?"

"WHAT?! You two are getting married?" Dustin was the first to say something. He grabbed Lucas's arm and shook him violently. "You proposed? When?! And tell me: who's going to be the best man? Don't say it's Mike—"

"Hey!" Mike protested.

"Best man? Max, am I going to be the maid of honor?" El wondered, excitement filling in her chest. Although she has only attended one wedding (Nancy and Jonathan's) in her entire life, she was eager to play a bigger part in another one—especially if it's her bestfriends'.

"Everyone calm down, NOW!" Max silenced the table. She glowered at all of them except for Will who didn't seem move from the initial shock. The waiter cautiously placed the last dish and left in a hurried pace. Max exhaled and smiled. "Yes, _Stalker _here proposed two weeks ago. We were planning to tell you guys after a month. You see, Lucas wants to redo it without the mishaps and finally make it officially… well, official but since you guys already know—" She paused and winked at Lucas. "—we're officially official."

Will, recovered smiled at the engaged couple. Dustin stood up and began announcing: "Two of my bestfriends are getting married, people! And I'm best man not Mike Wheeler!"

Mike shook Lucas' hand and El gave Max a tight hug. When she pulled away, Max showed the ring to her best friend who giggled, admiring the embedded jewel. "Pretty." El said softly then went to give Max another hug.

"So when's the wedding?" Will asked as they all settled down.

"Haven't thought of it yet; maybe after a year?" Max said wistfully. "Hey El, I'm going check out some wedding gowns tomorrow. Do you wanna join the bride look for the perfect dress?—that is if you're not already heading back to Chicago tomorrow."

El smiled. "I'm off duty until next week. Captain Finbarr said I need to rest after working nonstop for three months."

"That's great," Max smirked. "Maybe we'll find you your own wedding dress there too. I mean knowing you two, Mike will probably propose out of nowhere so…"

Max trailed off, seeing Mike and El once again act awkwardly. _Something's definitely off._

"We don't mean to shatter the mood but…" Mike began.

"… Mike and I are no longer dating." El finished.

After a moment of silence: "WHAT?!" Dustin yelled. "Since when were you two broken up? What happened? What is happening?! Michael Wheeler and Eleven are not dating: the world must be ending! This is an anomaly! This is—_ARRRGGGHHH!_"

"Dude, chill!" Lucas told Dustin as people started to look at them again.

"How long have you two broken up?" Max prompted.

"For almost three years." Mike squeaked, avoiding eye contact with any of them.

"And we never noticed." Will sighed. "Wow. After eight years of being the _'cutest couple'_, you just broke up?"

Mike sighed. He knew the rest of the Party will find out eventually. "It's okay, guys. We've already sorted things out." He glanced at El who stared blankly at her plate. He winced as he heard his own selfish words from that night they ended their relationship. "I'm always out of the country because of my job and she's very caught up with hers all the time. Things began to be rocky between us and…"

"… Misunderstandings and fights became regular." El continued. Her right hand moved to the blue hair tie in her left wrist, as she always did when she's nervous or uncomfortable. The others were quiet, waiting for her to finish. "When we finally got to our limit, we've decided to break up. We didn't want to change the Party's atmosphere—we knew you guys will eventually choose sides and make it a bigger deal than it should—so we kept things casual, acting as normal as we can. Besides, Mike and I have moved on. We're fine now. Let's be happy for Max and Lucas instead, okay?"

The table was totally quiet until Dustin grunted: "I can't believe a couple getting engaged and another being broken up would steal the limelight from me."

Mike cracked a smile which was followed by Max who let out a wide grin. In no time, the whole Party was laughing again. Mike and El looked at each other amidst the laughter. El gave him a hopeful smile and Mike smiled back in return.

"We better eat," Will interrupted, although he was still beaming. He raised his glass of water. "Here's a toast for our never-ending friendship: to the Party!"

Everyone drank to the that and the loud conversations dissolved to small talks as they ate brunch.

* * *

"Oh I almost forgot," Dustin said, snapping his fingers. He pulled a protesting Max and Lucas aside, and talked to them in a soft voice: "Since you two are engaged and are about to be married. I've decided to invite you to Dr. Crawford's gala on April twenty-four. You'll be among the first people to see his latest project be unveiled to the world—consider it as an early wedding gift."

Lucas was frozen with a smile plastered in his mouth and all Max could do was groan. "I'm not interested with the _unveiling _part and the science mumbo jumbo in general but since my future husband is such a fanboy for this Crawford fella, I will let you drag me into this nerds' gala of yours."

"I'm gonna meet Robert Crawford!" Lucas gasped. He suddenly frowned, remembering something. "Aren't you gonna take Suzie?"

"I asked Suzie but she said no but that's not the point; it's that I could only invite two people so please don't tell anyone else, especially Mike; he'll be very jealous for sure." Dustin warned. He looked at Mike who was talking to Will while El was absent-mindedly fiddling her bracelet, listening to her ex and smiling. "El is probably not interested with the science stuff either, but she will surely be upset if she finds out—she hates being left out—and she's a detective, she'll figure it out if we're not careful."

"What about Will?" Lucas asked.

Dustin's eyes narrowed. "He's a psychologist. Steer clear from him too. He can practically read people's by just looking at—"

"Dustin stop being ridiculous." Max face-palmed then proceeded to sneer at Dustin. "And you haven't even told us where this gala will be."

"Oh, right," Dustin let out a forced laughter. "Did I mention that we will technically be visiting our old town? It's gonna be in Hawkins."

* * *

_This world will join in my perfection…_

"Yes, great one…"

_Gather your brothers and sisters… the rift will be opened further soon… you will be my harbinger to those who stand in my way… the way of perfection…_

"The Awakened will serve you to the end, great one…"

_Good… Now go… convert more to the path of perfection… and find the girl… she won't stop me this time… she will die the next time we face…_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

The Party members no longer live in Hawkins. In this future timeline, they all eventually left like El and the Byers. Mike is an archeologist traveling around the world but his family is currently residing in Seattle; Will is a Psychology Professor in New York (where Nancy and Jonathan also reside); Lucas and Max are engaged and are living together in San Francisco; Dustin is living with Suzie—they're still dating—in Arizona but his job as physicist took him to Pasadena and due to his assignment, later back to Hawkins (this fact will obviously be a big deal in this story); and finally Eleven who as seen in the Prologue is a police detective working for the Chicago Pol. Department—she's obviously closest to Hawkins due to a strange pull that's kind of calling her.

Don't worry, Milleven isn't dead and the real reason—or the full story behind their break up will be revealed soon.

And the infamous Shadow Monster is back with a cult devoted to him. How the Mind Flayer got to flay more people will be explained in the further chapters. The big baddie has a score to settle with the Party. Things will get stranger, I promise.

Again, please point out errors and things that really need correction. Points for improvement are also welcome.

P.S. the Nobel Prizes won by Dr. Crawford all were made up.

Coming soon… Chapter Two: The Anomaly

* * *

**Netflix's STRANGER THINGS belong to THE DUFFER BROTHERS**


	3. Chapter 2: The Anomaly

**CHAPTER TWO: The Anomaly**

**Netflix's STRANGER THINGS belong to THE DUFFER BROTHERS**

* * *

**Pasadena, California**

It was almost midnight and El can't seem to fall asleep. She's alone, lying in bed inside her hotel room, staring vacantly at the ceiling. She could imagine Will sleeping soundly in the next room; she thought about calling him but eventually chose not to. Dustin offered to have them over his house but it was already crowded with Max and Lucas staying there. She tried closing her eyes to force herself to sleep; she did promise to go wedding dress shopping with Max.

Finally giving up, El left the bed and walked over to the veranda. The city below glimmered but her attention was fixed above. She leaned against the balcony railing as she observed the California night sky, trying to identify the different constellations she could spot. She remembered the first time someone taught her about them:

"_You see those stars close to each other over there?" _She recalled Jim Hopper say. She looked at him and nodded. It has been a few days after El closed the Gate and Hop has decided to take her stargazing. _"We talked about stars before right? Sara loved talking about them—she was smart kid. I think she'd fit right in with Mike and your other friends."_

Hopper chuckled when he caught El's gaze. _"Let's get back to the stars. You see, there are stars that form shapes when you connect them like dots in the sky. They're called constellations. A science teacher like Mr. Clarke could've phrased it better but that's basically it. Over there is what we call Andromeda—" _El watched as Hop drew lines in the air. _"—and over there's Pegasus, the winged horse—"_

"_Winged horse?" _El asked, curious by the idea of a horse with wings. _"Does it fly or is it like a chicken that doesn't?"_

"_No, kid," _Hopper laughed at El's question, making her become more confused. _"Pegasus isn't real. It's a creature that only exists in Greek Mythology."_—El raised an eyebrow—_"Um, mythology is like fairytales, kid."_

"_Like the ones we have for bedtime stories?" _El said, slowly comprehending what she just learned. _"Tell me more about the stars, Hop."_

The gruff police chief smirked with the familiar warmth El could only find in him. He looked back into the night sky and pointed at another group of stars. _"Look over there; that's the great bear, Ursa Major and next to it is the little bear, Ursa Minor."_

"_Are they family?"_

Hopper paused for a second before shrugging. _"Yeah, I guess they are; like a dad bear and his kid—or cub."_

"_Like you and Sara?" _El wondered in a small voice.

"_Yeah, like me and Sara… but she's not here anymore, kid... and it may sound silly but I believe she's right there behind the stars, watching over everybody down here." _Hopper gave her a sad smile.

"_Papa was b-bad… a-and I wish I have a Dad like you." _El whispered but Hopper heard her. Sighing, he pulled a surprised El to a tight embrace. El remembered the smell of tobacco, coffee and cologne that Hop would always have: the smell of _home_.

"_I… I'm here for you, kiddo," _Hop told her with the same comforting tone he had in the Lab—_'you did good, kid… you did so good_…'

"_I may not be your real father, but I can be your Dad," _He continued and El began to sob. _"And_ _you can be my daughter: my Eggo-loving super powered daughter who can make things move with her mind. You are my kid, El."_

"Hey, Hop…" El sighed as a single tear slowly made its way down her cheek. "It's been a long time since I talked to you. I want to let you know that I'm still working on Kali's case. We nearly had her… but it's fine though; I'm not giving up that easily."

She didn't really expect a reply, so she went on somberly.

"Anyways, I was with my friends a while ago: Lucas and Max are engaged, and Dustin will be working with a famous scientist… Mike and I are okay, I guess—" El laughed. "—and I know you're pleased to know that I'm not dating anyone right now. Will and I will be visiting Mom—Joyce next week… she's still in Maine; a-and I believe she misses you a lot especially when I'm around her…"

She took a deep breath and mustered a smile. "I hope you're always watching over me behind the stars, Hop… I… I miss you so much… Dad…"

* * *

Will was thirteen years old again, running away from the living shadow in the sky while red lightning flashed. He was in Hawkins Middle's school field; alone and crying as he felt a hot sensation burn his side. He wanted to collapse and scream but his legs won't let him.

_Will… _A deep voice called out. _Don't run…_

"Go away!" He screamed but didn't bother to stop and look what's behind him; he was terrified of what he will see if he did. "Go away! Please, leave!"

Will got up, shivering and beaded with cold sweat; he had the same dream again. The sama haunting dream.

The field had disappeared and Will found himself in his hotel room, in bed with no shadow chasing him. Will grabbed his cellphone and immediately dialed Jonathan' number. It rang three times before going to voicemail.

"Damn it, Jonathan." Will muttered in frustration. He tried again and began to consider barging into El's room and tell her about his vivid nightmare.

Jonathan didn't pick up again and before Will could call another number, the lights flickered and his phone blinked off. A familiar feeling began to creep behind his neck. He watched as shadows began to fill the room. Suddenly, the air turned icy cold and everything became enveloped by root-like tendrils—somehow, Will was back in the Upside down.

_Hello, child…_

"N-no… this c-can't be happening!" Will panted when a dark figure emerged from the corner. The shadows appear to be following it and slowly, it moved towards the bed. Will tried to escape but he can't—he was frozen in place.

_You slipped from my control the last time I was here, boy… _The same deep voice emanated around him. _Ten years, I've waited… You and your friends cannot escape my wrath this time… I will take this world and destroy every single imperfection it has… I'm not yet done with you, Will Byers… I am in need of you once again…"_

Unable to move, Will's screams were drowned as the shadowy shape before him funneled itself into his mouth. His entire body convulsed and everything went black.

* * *

**Manhattan, New York**

"Nance, have you seen them?" Jonathan asked his wife as he shuffled around their apartment without specifying what he's been looking for the past five minutes. He didn't even notice Nancy enter the living room holding two mugs of hot chocolate. "I swear I left them in the coffee table—my car keys, I mean."

"You really are becoming your Mom, you know that, right?" Nancy mused as she set their morning drinks down the kitchen counter. She went ahead to get her husband's coat and pulled out the missing keys. "Nancy Drew solves the mystery yet again. Seriously, how many times have I told you to check your coat first?"

Jonathan chuckled. "Yeah well, good thing I'm married to you then."

"You'd totally be lost without me," Nancy smirked as she tossed the keys at him. "I think I'll be leaving sticky notes for you next time."

The two of them share a passionate kiss.

"So, is everything ready for the trip?" Nancy asked when she pulled away.

Her husband frowned; trying to remember the list they made yesterday, overly exaggerating the way does it. Nancy grinned at his weird attempt to make her laugh. Jonathan pulled her to another kiss when he noticed her amusement. "I think I'm good."

"Are you comfortable to hang out with Steve?" Nancy asked not wanting to put Jonathan in a situation he doesn't want to be in.

Steve Harrington called a week ago from Philadelphia, inviting both Nancy and Jonathan to have a little reunion. Robin however told Nancy that Steve is actually trying to make up for not being able to attend the wedding; _Nancy_ _and Jonathan's wedding_. The fact that the former _King of Hawkins High_ didn't make it to the wedding never bothered Jonathan but Nancy kept wondering about Steve's reason behind his absence.

"Yeah, I guess so." Jonathan sighed. "I mean, Steve and I got off a rocky start but that was a long time ago, Nance. Besides, we've been through hell together—I believe that's enough for us to be good actual friends."

"You don't sound sure with the _being friends_ part, Babe." Nancy wrinkled her nose.

"I'm serious Nance; Steve wants a reunion, so let's go have a reunion." Jonathan rolled his eyes. "And have you seen my phone?"

Nancy laughed and shook her head. "Car keys and phone: you really are your Mom, Jonathan Byers. And I'll say it again; you are really hopeless without me."

Jonathan snickered and started to turn the living room inside-out once again. Later, Nancy walked towards him looking grim. In her hand was her husband's phone—"Jonathan, Will called in the middle of the night and left a message."

"What did he say?"

"_Jonathan,_" Nancy read from the phone. "_I'm going to Chicago. Be busy for a while._"

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

"Yep," Nancy shrugged. "Wait, isn't he supposed to be with El?"

Jonathan didn't say it but he felt something's off. He ignored it and gave Nancy a smile: "Maybe it's about work—many universities have been inviting him for talks. I'll call him later but for now, we have a reunion to go to."

"Well, off we go to Steve _'the Hair'_ Harrington." Nancy teased.

* * *

**Pasadena, California**

_A day free of girls._

Will's words from ten years ago echoed in the recess of Mike's head as he, Dustin and Lucas sat down in a café. The three of them were waiting for the Party Cleric who usually was the first one in every single rendezvous point they would set. Like their Party reunions, Mike and the guys have agreed to Dustin's idea to have a '_boys only' _hangout every now and then. It is when they would share stories about work and sometimes reminiscence the good old days in Dungeons and Dragons Campaigns.

The ladies didn't object whatsoever because Max took it as an opening to spend time alone with her bestfriend, El. According to Lucas, Max left early to pick up El in her hotel. They're planning to go shopping; it's obvious that they'll be having their own _'girls only' _hangout too.

_It's a day free of girls. _Mike told himself.

"Where the hell is Byers?" Dustin finally groaned in irritation. "He's not answering my calls and I haven't received a single text reply from him either. Seriously, where is he?"

"Maybe he overslept," Mike reasoned. "I mean, it's only nine—"

"Fifteen minutes late!" Dustin bawled. "Will has always been time-conscious Party member being earlier than the rest of us. Can't you see? Will is never late unless something's wrong. Maybe he's back in the Upside Down."

Mike cleared his throat. "Not a cool, man."

Even after so many years have passed, Mike could never seem to see a joke like that funny. _How could it be funny?_ _Will was lost in a parallel dimension where he was chased by monsters_—there was nothing funny with that. Nothing at all.

"El said that Will left the hotel earlier than her," Lucas said, ignoring Dustin's insensitivity. "I mean it is weird that Will left without saying anything to his sister. Maybe he's in a hurry to go somewhere or something?"

"Hurry to where exactly?" Dustin raised an eyebrow. "I mean if he's hurrying somewhere to do something; wouldn't it be this café—the café we agreed to meet? And Will has a phone, right? I've been calling him for, I don't know: a hundred times now—"

"You really love calling people nonstop with that phone of yours." Mike grunted.

"—and he didn't even bother to acknowledge me with a simple text!" Dustin finished, unfazed by Mike's comment.

"Now I know why your long distance relationship with Suzie lasted this long." Lucas sneered. Unlike Dustin's joke, Lucas' retort got Mike to snicker and then burst into laughter. _"Oh, Suzie-poo I miss you so much!—Dusty-bun, I love how you are always calling me."_

Dustin frowned at his friend's mockery. "Shut up, Sinclair."

Mike and Lucas kept laughing until Mike's phone buzzed. He instantaneously looked at the screen and saw a text from Will. _"Not going to make it. Off to a meeting in Chicago."_

"Is that Will?" Lucas asked after Mike finished.

"Unbelievable." Dustin raised his hands in surrender. "After so many calls and texts, Byers sends you a message. You know what, if that was Suzie, she would happily reply immediately. Such effort—I get it: why do I bother?"

Mike grimaced at his friend's words. "Everyone isn't Suzie, Dustin. And seriously, you seem to have a problem with how much you use your phone."

"Right, like I have a problem." Dustin waved Mike off as he shifted his focus to Lucas. "So you're getting married, huh?"

Lucas laughed. "Yes, I am! After ten years of getting dumped and getting back together with Mad Max, we're finally getting married! Man, I'm gonna marry the woman I've been dating ever since the eighth grade! Can you believe it—?!"

"Yes, we do." Mike and Dustin snapped in unison.

"—I'm just… so happy!" Lucas grinned but it quickly turned into a frown as something crossed his mind. "Yet, Max and I haven't really sorted anything. We don't even know who will be invited. And no, Dustin: I can't decide who will be the best man without talking to Max."

Dustin mumbled something about planning a better bachelor party than Mike.

"But no worries," Lucas said as his smile returned. "Max is very excited as much as I am. She's basically out there looking for a wedding dress! She's already looking for a wedding dress for Pete's sake!"

"Calm down, _Mr. Groom-to-be,_" Dustin said, both annoyed and entertained by Lucas' wedding-hyped behavior. "While you and Mad Max will be getting wed very soon—Mr. International here has apparently been single the past three years."

Mike's eyes widened. He slowly looked at Lucas (who gave him a skewed smirk) and then to Dustin with an obnoxious expression plastered on his face. Mike realized that without Will, he is technically the only guy present not dating someone.

"I had to travel as an archeologist a lot and El had to concentrate as a detective," Mike sighed, repeating his explanation yesterday. "It's been three years guys, we're totally okay now. How about we start planning Lucas' bachelor party instead? I—"

"No, no, no, no!" Dustin cut in. "Nice try, Mike but you're not getting out of this easy and besides, the best man will be the one who'll be doing the planning—"

"Dude, you really should stop being… presumptuous." Lucas said under his breath.

"—and what you said about being _'totally okay' _is nothing but a load of… shit."

Mike gave Dustin an agitated stare. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Dr. Michael." Dustin said, waving his hands hysterically in front of Mike's face. "You two are not _totally okay!_ Heck, not even _plain okay_! You two are _okay _if and only if you start making out all of the sudden and begin acting like the weirdest and honestly cutest—sorry, Suzie—couple that everyone knows!"

The three of them fell silent. The café waiter arrived with their usual drinks: an espresso for Mike, café macchiato for Dustin, Americano for Lucas and an iced mocha for the absent Will. Mike went mute after Dustin's barrage of words.

_Damn, that was a direct hit. _A small part of Mike squeaked.

"Mike, from a guy who will be getting married with the woman he's been with for a very long time," Lucas said, gaining Mike's attention. The future groom sighed after taking a sip from his cup. "To be honest, Max and I originally thought that we'll be the last couple within our Party to get married—I mean, we couldn't compete with the most couple of couples, Mike Wheeler and Jane Hopper!—but look where stand." Lucas paused then continued: "I have a question, a Party member to another: do you still have feelings for El?"

Mike tensed. It was so apparent: yes, he is very much still smitten with El, the girl he met in the woods one rainy November night. He opened his mouth to give his response but ended up nodding in silence.

"That settles it." Lucas said, leaning against his seat. "Mike, you need to talk to her. You two are obviously hung up with each other—you two are still very much in love."

Mike only gave a melancholic smile. _If only it was that easy…_

* * *

El couldn't stop blushing. When she was 'hanging out' with Max, the redhead friend has done nothing—aside from scouting for wedding dresses—but interrogate her like El would do to perps back in Chicago PD. El's time as a detective made her develop a shield of sorts that can block any form intimidation but Max was something else.

"_You guys… are so hopelessly still in love!" _Max teasing resonated. _"You two should stop playing relationship-chicken and make up already!"_

Entering her hotel room, El went straightaway for the veranda. Max was right of course. El never got over Mike and she constantly thinks about him sometimes. Seeing Mike would always make her heart skip a beat. El would even imagine herself hugging him and of course, kissing his lips. El shook her head as the memory of their break up resurfaced, replaying the moment her heart was shattered multiple times in one heated argument.

She needed to clear her mind; El closed her eyes and tried to push everything that began to crowd her thoughts. The technique was something she would do before she would _'spy' _on anyone with her powers. Now without her abilities, it was simply something she would do to calm herself down but when she opened her eyes:

"What the…" El gasped. Before her was no longer the view from her balcony, it was a dark and empty space. She has managed to channel her mind back to the Void_—_Dustin was the one who coined the term for her: _the Void._

"_Jane?" _A familiar voice called out in the darkness. El frantically turned to see who it was. _"Jane, if you can hear me, please I need you to listen!"_

Finally, a woman materialized: it was Kali. She wore her dark leather getup but her dark hair was a mess and she looked beaten up: blood and grime were smeared in her face. _Something's wrong._

"_He's after me, Jane." _Kali said with desperation evident in her voice. _"He wants you and he'll be using me to get to you!"_

"Where are you?" El asked as she felt fear creep below her neck. Around Kali, the environment began to appear and El saw her sister's companions—Mick, Funshine, Axel, and Dottie. Behind Kali was a building she recognized: it was the little St. Thomas chapel. _Kali is still in Chicago._

"_They serve him, Jane…" _Kali warned. _"Stay away and stay safe! He wants you and I'm the bait. Please, Jane stay a—"_

Everything dematerialized and El collapsed. She's in the veranda again with the California night sky before her. El sensed the warm flow of blood from her left nostril.

_Did I just use my powers?_

There was a knock in the door. El groggily got up and rushed to see who it was: it was Mike.

"El, hey, um… hi—wait, is that blood?"

El hugged him instinctively as she began to cry. "Mike, my sister is in danger."

* * *

**Philadelphia, Pennsylvania**

"So, the Silver Cat is closing early so we can meet up with your ex and her husband." Robin snorted as her partner, Steve fumbled with his keys. "You do realize how… pathetic that sounds, right?"

"Aha!" Steve exclaimed as he found the backdoor's key. He cleared his throat when he saw Robin's scowl. "It's not pathetic—they're my friends and I pretty much owe them. I mean, I missed their wedding and haven't been in touch for two years. I might as well be the asshole—"

"You are an asshole indeed, Steve _'Hair-ington'_," Robin finished. "Hey dingus; remember when I basically became your proxy in that weird love triangle of yours—relaying messages from both sides?"

Steve crossed his arms in annoyance but Robin just shrugged and blew him a raspberry. He shook his head and proceeded to lock the door.

"Um, Steve?" Robin's voice was shaky as she tapped Steve in the back.

They were alone a second ago but now; two men are now blocking the alleyway's entrance—and ultimately, the path to Steve's car. Steve shoved the keys into his pocket and cautiously approached the strangers.

"Um, is everything alright?" Steve asked them.

One of them stepped forward. "Steve Harrington… Robin Buckley… the Great One wishes you gone."

Steve's eyes widened.

"Robin, get down!" He yelled as the man raised his gun and fired.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

This is a very, very, very late update.

I love Hopper and El's father-daughter moments. In this timeline, Hop died during the Battle of Starcourt—his true fate is yet to be revealed however since we are still waiting for Stranger Things 4. It's sad to think about it but I took this approach to serve as a boosting factor for El as she grew up. He is El's hero and idol, obviously seen in her career choice.

I kinda added a dash of Barney Stinson (from HIMYM) on Dustin's personality as a grownup. Lucas on the other hand is a big Mileven shipper as he basically tells Mike to go get the girl back.

Another thing to take note of is the… repossession of Will Byers. It's horrible but the Mind Flayer is evil, okay?—big shadow baddie will do evil stuff to get his revenge. Will Byers will play a big role for the Upside Down's return. What kind of role, stay tuned for the next parts.

In this chapter, the synth music goes dark as the Mind Flayer finally puts his revenge plot in motion. There will be three groups: Mike and El, Max and Lucas with Dustin, and finally the elder grownups—Nancy, Jonathan, Steve and Robin. The strange things came from Hawkins and it will call them home.

Corrections are very much accepted.

Coming soon… Chapter Three: The Awoken

* * *

**Netflix's STRANGER THINGS belong to THE DUFFER BROTHERS**


	4. Chapter 3: The Awoken

**CHAPTER THREE: The Awoken**

**Netflix's STRANGER THINGS belong to THE DUFFER BROTHERS**

* * *

**Philadelphia, Pennsylvania**

The bullet barely missed as Steve jumped to cover. Robin didn't waste time as she ran to shield herself from the volley of gunfire from the stranger's pistol. Dusk has already settled in and city lights blinked to life.

"Who are these guys?!" Steve yelled through the roaring barrage of bullets.

"Am I supposed to know, dingus?!" Robin barked back in irritation. Despite her dread and annoyance, Robin's brain struggled to think of who their assassins' were. Ten years have passed since the Scoops Troop (composed of Steve, Dustin, Erica and her) infiltrated the secret Russian base under Starcourt Mall. The memory of being captured and drugged by Soviets came crashing back. _Have the Russians finally come for revenge?_

_Surely, someone will hear the gunfire._ Robin tried convincing herself but the fact that the Silver Cat Café is established in the ghost town side of city said otherwise. She and Steve finally got a good spot in Manhattan but it they won't be moving until the following month. Robin mentally face-palmed, bothered the inconvenience.

The stranger kept firing until Robin heard the gun click—"He's out!"

Steve nodded and Robin wasn't startled with what he did next: the armed stranger was definitely out of clips and that was enough for Steve to launch a tackle. Relieved that their attackers didn't reload or bring up another weapon, Robin watched as Steve knocked one of them to the ground. The man grunted as Steve punched him multiple times on the face. The other stranger came to his companion's help as he shoved Steve off with a swift kick. Steve stumbled from the unexpected attack, wincing as pain throbbed across his face.

"I'm not getting my face messed up this time!" Steve roared. He stood up and threw a full punch at the stranger. The attacker dodged and countered with a quick jab. Steve felt another surge of pain on his right cheek. He looked at Robin with a frown. "Hey, how 'bout a little help here?!"

Robin blinked and scanned the alley. Her face lit up when she spotted a metal pipe near the dumpster. She rushed and grabbed her crude weapon of choice. "Keep at it, Harrington! Cavalry's on the way!"

Steve was already busy locked in combat with the stranger to acknowledge Robin. The one who was out cold began to stir; if he got up, Steve will definitely be in a heap of trouble—good thing Robin got a pipe. The man lying in the ground sat up and rubbed his now-broken nose but before he could regain his bearings, Robin smacked his face as hard as she could. The man crumpled back to sleep. When Steve's opponent saw Robin approach, he backed away.

Steve turned to look at Robin who waved her weapon. "Nice one, Girl-Wonder."

"Someone's getting too nerdy." Robin smirked.

"I can't help it, you're contagious." Steve retorted.

Their victory was short-lived when three more strangers appeared; all wore matching shirts with a smiling fish print and one of them held a knife that gleamed in his hand. Now there's five of them—all set to kill Steve and Robin for some reason.

"Aw, shit." Steve said under his breath. He eyed Robin whose hands turned white and tremble. "You mind letting me use that?"

Robin didn't argue and handed him the makeshift weapon. Her eyes were fixed at the strangers who are now moving closer to them. The one with the knife grinned sinisterly. "We, the Awoken have come for you, Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley. The Great One wishes no interlopers with his grand scheme of perfection. So, you must… be taken care of."

"Yeah, we got the message." Steve said sternly, sarcasm evident in his tone. Somehow, these weirdoes knew their names. With the pipe, he gestured at the unconscious man and snorted. "Really; only one of you guys brought a gun? And this guy didn't even bring extra clips? What sort of… assassins are you?"

The knife guy laughed. He motioned his buddies to surround Steve and Robin. "The Great One's will can be fulfilled with or without a firearm, Steve Harrington… and not all of the Awakened are warriors. Eddie here was a former cop, thus the gun. I on the other hand, am an acolyte… and I only need this blade."

Steve couldn't help but feel disturbed especially at the man's words; something felt wrong with him. The way how they all have the same blank expressions didn't ease Steve's discomfort either.

"I-I have questions." Robin laughed timidly and raised a hand. "First, why are you trying to k-kill us? Second: are y-you some kind of cult or something? If you are then, you guys suck at this. The Awakened, huh?—I've never even heard of you."

"That's because we serve in the shadows," The man—the acolyte as he labelled himself—chided at Robin's insults. "We serve in the shadows under the _Shadow God!_ And when he fully rises, we won't need any weapons for we will be perfect!"

"What?" Steve raised an eyebrow. "Now you guys just sound bat-shit crazy. You people creep the hell out of me and your god is just plain freaky."

Anger was visible in the man's face. "YOU DARE INSULT OUR GOD?! KILL THEM!"

Steve and Robin braced for their attackers who abruptly froze when a woman shouted: "Hey!"—everyone spun and saw (to Steve's relief) Nancy and her husband; and both were armed. Steve took the opening and whacked the so-called acolyte who retreated in pain. The Awoken moved for an attack but hesitated when Jonathan whistled. "Don't try anything, pal."

The acolyte got up and snarled. "Nancy and Jonathan Byers… more interlopers…"

Nancy cocked her pistol. "How do you know who we are?"—the man didn't answer, continuing his bloody sneer—"I won't ask again!"

"My Brethren!" The man hissed. "We cannot take on the interlopers this time! For now, we retreat—" Around him, smoke began to swirl and the lights began to flicker. "—the Shadow God will return… and you won't escape his wrath this time…"

Nancy watched as the lights began to blink rapidly and abruptly go out. The Awoken were gone when the lights came back. Jonathan lowered his gun frowned. "What just happened?"

Steve and Robin, with equally puzzled faces walked towards other pair. Steve brandished his improvised weapon and grimaced. "Who were those guys?"

"They called themselves Awakened, dingus." Robin rolled her hands, trying to hide her anxiety. She looked at Nancy and smiled weakly. "Good thing Steve called in a reunion, huh?"

Nancy wasn't paying attention. "Did you see their shirts?"

"Nance—"

"We need to confront them again and the docks will be a good place to start searching." Nancy pursed her lips. "And the cops won't do much good—I have a different back up in mind. As of now, however; we're on our own.

* * *

**Pasadena, California**

The last time Mike spent a night with El was three years ago.

Last night, after being pushed by Lucas and Dustin: he found himself walking to El's hotel room. After having an internal struggle with what he was doing, Mike knocked.

_What am I doing? What am I even gonna tell her? Michael, you idiot—_

The door swung open and Mike began fumbling his words: _"El, hey, um… hi—"_ Then he noticed the red liquid oozing from her nose. _"—Wait, is that blood?"_

As if he's not already surprised enough, Mike was pulled by El into a tight embrace. She was crying and what she said next answered the question Mike was about to ask her. _"Mike, my sister is in danger."_

It's been very long time since Mike saw her like this: scared and fragile—the same look she had the first time he saw her in the woods. And it's also the same one she had during the first two months after Hopper's death. Her skin was so pale except for the dark bags under her eyes. El was obviously tired, drained to be exact. She has a lot in her mind just as Mike has a lot of questions; but he didn't push it. He eventually managed to calm El, enough for her to go wash her face and lie down in bed.

"_We'll talk about it tomorrow, okay?"_ Mike said, assuring both El and himself. _"You need to rest for now. First thing tomorrow: you tell me everything, alright? And uh, if you need me, I'll be taking the room next door. I'll just go on ahead and talk to the—"_

"_Mike,"_ El whispered but Mike caught her voice. _"Stay… for the night… I… I don't want to be alone… please?"_

Mike froze. After having another mental argument with himself, Mike gave El a subtle nod. He settled beside her and lied down like a plank: flat and rigid. There was an awkward tension between them even with the gap Mike had carefully left in the middle.

"_Mike…"_

He turned his neck at the sound of his name. Their eyes met—her warm brown orbs aligned with his dark brown spheres. They stayed just like that, staring at each other in silence. The night went on like a blur and sometime after midnight, Mike was awakened by El who shifted a bit closer. She was shivering, even with the blankets wrapped around her. Unable to see her like that, Mike instinctively put an arm around El.

_What am I doing? _Mike was screaming internally. _Dude, you are basically cuddling your ex-girlfriend! Your ex-girlfriend who used to throw monsters with her mind—your ex-girlfriend who tackles criminals in the street._

When he held her close, Mike realized how much he missed the comforting warmth of El's body against his. _What happened… to us?_

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard El murmur: _"Mike…"_—her eyes didn't flutter open; they remained closed_—"Please don't leave… I missed you so much… never leave my side, again… please…"_

Mike couldn't say a word. His gaze remained on El's peaceful sleeping face. _"I missed you too, El. And I won't leave… never again."_

"_Promise?"_

"_I promise."_

* * *

**Chicago, Illinois**

"Mike, wake up." El snapped, jolting Mike from his sleep. "We need to get back to the chapel as soon as possible; we need to find Kali."

He got up from the couch and immediately regretted it. "Damn, jetlag."

They were in El's apartment in Chicago. Right after their plane landed; the two of them rushed to the chapel where El saw Kali in the Void. El tried to explain what had happened that night but it left more questions than answers. Mike didn't get a full backstory to how El got to use her 'spying' ability again mostly because El herself is clueless. She was just suddenly there, watching her sister in distress.

Mike suggested calling the entire Party but El warning made it clear: _"If_ _Kali is in danger and doesn't want me to come, I don't want to risk our friends—especially you. I don't want you to be dragged into this—"_

"_El, I promised to never leave you again, remember?"_

Mike winced from both headache and his out-of-nowhere confident words he had told El. They didn't speak about it except for when Mike reminded El of his promise. Back in Pasadena, they shared the same bed and fell asleep in each other's arms but when they got to the apartment, Mike chose to sleep in the couch and El awkwardly agreed.

"You think Eight—I mean, Kali is still in there?" Mike asked while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The chapel was basically the first stop they had from the airport and when they got there, the caretaker allowed them to look around. They found nothing.

El sighed and nodded. "Mike, something was… wrong when we got there. I mean, didn't you notice how the man tending to the building seemed so odd?"

She was right: the caretaker, Hicks was indeed odd. He was a man in his mid-forties and Mike did saw how his face remained neutral and empty. And the manner he spoke was almost robotic—flat and monotonous. _Like a puppet_.

"Yeah, Hicks gave me the creeps," Mike faked a shiver, receiving a small smile from El. "That guy was weird but I don't know El, didn't we thoroughly check the place yesterday?"

"Dr. Wheeler, which of us is the detective again?" El rolled her eyes—it's something Max (and even Hopper so long ago) would do when they were sarcastic. "I saw something behind one of the wardrobes: it was a door. I was about to move it when the caretaker appeared and told me to leave the room; he says I'm _'defiling sacred grounds'_."

Mike frowned. "A secret door? Why would a chapel have one of those?"

"I don't know," El said. She was already wearing her red leather jacket, obviously ready to get going. "But that's why we're going back there. This time, we need to have Hicks out of the way …"

Mike watched as El's lips grew into a grin.

"I have an idea."

* * *

El was never the _'I-have-an-idea'_ person in the Party but the plan she just made up a while ago was too good to pass. She stood across the street facing the chapel. Mike stood behind her, pacing and occasionally glancing at El.

She knew he was looking at her because she's been stealing quick glances at him too. The night she and Mike have spent together after three years can't seem to leave her head. El wanted to punch some senses to her own self as she kept having the longing search for Mike's warm embrace. She felt so safe and… whole: like she's complete... that was only when she was with Mike.

With Kali in danger, El is already broken down but somehow: Mike being there kept her going. She was shaking in fear that night but when he pulled her close, everything bad seemed to go away. El doesn't want to have anyone in danger ever again but Mike was persistent, reassuring her that he won't leave her.

_He promised._

After seeing Kali, she couldn't bring herself to sleep. She knew Mike was also awake and when the words got out, El was also surprised with herself. _"Mike, please don't leave… I missed you so much… never leave my side, again… please…"_

"You sure your 'contacts' will be able to do the job?" Mike broke her trail of thought. It seemed that he has already stopped pacing for quite some time. He looked nervous; El's plan must've sounded crazy. "I mean, let's go through our _'strategy_': we will be drawing the caretaker's attention through your associates, who will… what are they going to do again?"

El laughed. "Relax, Mike. These guys are pretty good with kind of jobs."

"I don't know." Mike rustled his shaggy hair. El reminisced the time she used to play with his dark locks whenever they cuddling—

_Snap out of it, Hopper!_ El scolded herself. After ten years, her feelings for him never changed: the teenager who used to sneak behind her Dad and friends just to _make out _with her boyfriend is still there.

But there's also the heartbreak…

Mike leaned against the wall and sighed. "Can't we have the cops do something instead? We may need back up if your sister is indeed in danger, especially if _he's _the one behind all this."

El didn't say anything: she was afraid to either affirm or deny the possibility. "It's a personal matter, Mike—it's Kali. If we find her with the aid of the police, Kali and her friends will be taken in. She's in danger and we need to save her; getting Kali arrested isn't going to be an option… and besides, my colleagues don't even know I'm back here."

—_and if the Mind Flayer is somehow behind all this… no amount of back up may be able to do anything..._

The two of them fell silent letting the ambient noise of the city take over.

A few minutes went by when Mike spotted El's contacts: four kids riding bikes. All of them seem to be at least twelve years old—"You've got to be joking."

"Detective Hopper," One of them got of his bike and greeted El with a grin. He has blonde hair and Mike knew he must be the group's de facto leader. "You in need of assistance?"

El held out her hand which the kid shook. "Hello, Ralph."

The boy sneered when El said his name. "Come on, Hop. When we're on a job, it's _Red._"

"Right…" El scoffed, causing Ralph's scowl to go deeper. The boy was about to say something in return when Mike cleared his throat. All eyes flew to him.

"So… kids?" Mike said, trying to sound casual.

El sheepishly smiled. "Mike, these boys will be the ones helping us. This of course is Red, their leader—" Ralph nodded, though still irritated. "—and these three are St. Pat, the technician—" The redhead mischievously smirked. "—Franklin, the runner—" The dark skinned boy just raised an eyebrow. "—and Templar, the artist." The smallest of them waved shyly.

Mike stared into each of their faces, including El's.

"Okay, here's the gist," El began, ignoring Mike's reaction. "Mike and I need to get in the chapel across the street. Red, you and your—"

"Hold on!" Red cut in, shaking his head. "I got a call from you to come here so we can help you and your boyfriend—"

"We're not together." Both Mike and El yelped at the same time. El saw Mike's face burn red and then feel hers do so as well.

"Okay… whatever." Red grunted, clearly uninterested. "So anyways—you need us to help you break in a chapel for some reason you refused to tell me; though I can respect that: there's a problem Hop. It's that we still don't know what we're getting out from this."

El clenched her jaw in slight annoyance. _This must be how Hop felt when I was being a brat._ "Well, Ralph…" El said, stressing the boy's real name. Without letting Red protest, El continued: "The last time I checked, you're the one who currently owes me. Remember the memorial park incident last month?"

Red's eyes narrowed then looked at his friends—Franklin face-palmed and St. Pat just shrugged while Templar had a sudden interest on the ground. "Okay, okay: you win, Hopper—but remember, when this plan of yours fails—"

"It won't," El assured. "I promise."

Red's face softened. He turned to his team and signaled them to move. "Got your walkie ready?"

El flashed her radio, earning Red's guaranteed nod. "After this, we're even, 'kay?"

"I'll be looking forward for more business encounters with you and your team, Red." El nodded with a smile.

Red shook El's hand one last time then rushed to join the other kids. The four boys stood in front of the chapel and brought out their weapons of choice: spray paint. Before Mike could see them go to work, El yanked him into an alley.

"Hicks must not see us." El casually explained.

"Kids? El, your contacts are a bunch of kids!" Mike pointed out.

"Relax, Mike," El shook her head and chuckled. "Don't underestimate these _kids_—just so you know, they have helped me take down a lot of criminals a couple of times. They're really great in snitching valuable info for me. They may be a bunch of kids but I think they will one day run their own underground information business."

"That's a weird expectation from a cop on a group of kids." Mike grimaced.

"Don't worry; I won't let them take that path." El smiled. "I first met Red and his friends when Valdez and I caught them vandalizing the local Radio Shack. We didn't arrest them since they're just kids. We let them go with a verbal warning—and the trouble we had with Captain Finbarr was worth it. Ralph and his friends have been helping us ever since."

"You know that you will be responsible if something bad happens to them, right?" Mike raised an eyebrow. "Troublesome kids or not, they should not be stuck in these kind of things."

"We were troublesome kids back then too, you know." El sighed. "We were once kids; except we got stuck in stranger things than information brokering. We had evil government guys—"

"—Demogorgons and demodogs…" Mike mused. It seemed weird to joke around the horrors from the past especially when Dustin was making them but with El, the dark memories got a bit lighter.

"A living tunnel with living vines." El continued the list.

"Then there were the exploding rats." Mike added.

"And the melted people…" El gagged.

The two of them shared a laugh but when the reality behind those moments popped, El felt her eyes water up. Mike definitely saw it because she found herself around his arms once more. "The bad parts never make things easy, huh?" Mike said softly.

"Hopper, do you copy?" Red's voice erupted from El's radio, making her unintentionally push Mike away. She flinched and made a mental reminder to apologize later as she picked her walkie.

"Yes, I copy." El answered, making her way back to the sidewalk with Mike following close behind. "What's the status?"

"It was a success. We got the weirdo out of his den. Who knew spraying graffiti on a church could be so thrilling?—not that we're planning to do something like that again, but oh man!"

"I'm glad you're enjoying this." El said sarcastically. "Remember, we need Hicks to keep chasing you guys."

"He went after Franklin so I say you have a lot of time to break in and get out before he gets back." Red laughed. "There's no way he can catch our runner."

"Good. Mike and I are going in. Don't get caught by either police or Hicks, and stay in touch. Over and out."

* * *

The wardrobe slid aside easily when Mike gave it a push. He swore to get a firearm a few months ago but... this time, he's unarmed except for a flashlight. El held on to her pistol and led the way.

The room below was an elongated hallway (which was not what Mike expected to see). A few lamps illuminated through the gloom which was enough for the pair to see what's around them. The two of then cautiously made their way forward; trying not making a sound. They stopped when they reached end where massive wooden twin doors awaited for them. Old yet not left alone: they were opened with more darkness beckoning Mike behind it.

Mike tensed when footsteps came from the other side echoed. He looked at El who raised her gun, ready for anything. Then fromthe pitch darkness was a big black man, staggering and panting towards them. Mike backed away as the big guy collapsed on the ground, wheezing for air.

"Ms. Jane!" The man grunted, his face contorting in pain. "I-it's you—why did you come? Kali said s-she warned you—"

"Calm down, Funshine," El knelt down next to the man and held his gigantic hands. "I heard Kali and I'm here to save her. So please, tell me: where is my sister?"

Behind El, Mike subtly observed Funshine. He was a mess, that's for sure—his left eye was swollen shut and dried blood was smeared all over his below his chin.

_Someone had him beaten up_… Mike thought. _But why do I feel something is not right?_

"She's inside with the others." Funshine told them. He tried to stand up but El shook her head.—"Stay here, Mike and I will get her and the rest."—the giant strained in objection but was shot down by El's intense glare. "Fine; j-just make sure you get out of there alive."

"We will." El said then turned towards Mike. "Come on, let's go."

El didn't wait for an answer as she immediately stepped into the doorway. Mike gave one last look at Funshine and saw his face go blank—gone was the stressed expression along with the gasps for air; he just sat there, staring at an empty space.

"I'm sorry…" Funshine sobbed to Mike's surprise. "I'm s-sorry… they made me do this…"

"Are you okay—?" Mike was interrupted as unknown lightings that were apparently in the room lit up the entire place.

When his eyes were finally adjusted to the sudden brightness, Mike saw what was behind the door: it was a large chamber that looked exactly like the chapel above them. She saw El crouched next to an unconscious (at least Mike hoped so) woman which must be Kali—and surrounding them were five people—two were armed with handguns—wearing the same empty expressions.

Before Mike could do anything, a heavy blow was struck behind his head. His ears rang and he saw Funshine loom over him.

* * *

When the lights suddenly filled the darkness, El knew she had walked into a trap as Kali had warned her. Fortunately, the now lit up room made El easily find her sister who was out cold.

"Kali, it's me. I'm here, sister. I'm here." El reassured her sister as she dropped down beside Kali's unconscious body. She was breathing but it was faint. _I need to get her out of here._

"You…" Someone behind El said with hate seeped in each syllable. She didn't even notice the people that have formed a circle around her up until now. The source of the voice was a middle aged woman—and the empty look in her face made El quiver uncomfortably. "You came… just as the Great One said you would..."

One by one, they all spoke, bridging each other's phrases.

"—you will pay for your defiance…"

"—the Shadow God will claim your mind…"

El's eyes widened as three of Kali's companions were among them.

"—he will grant us perfection…" Said Dottie.

"—nothing will be imperfect anymore…" Axel followed.

"—but you must die for that to happen." Mick finished.

"We are the Awoken…" They all said at the same time.

From the corner of El's vision, she saw Funshine walking towards her. And he was dragging along Mike's limp body.

Kali's 'warrior' smiled. "We are the Awoken..."—It was a cold smile—"And he wants you gone, Ms. Jane."

* * *

Max thought she will never go back to Hawkins, Indiana after leaving with Lucas yet somehow, it only took one invitation to drag her back here.

Here: the place where her life went upside-down. Hawkins—while it was where she fell in love and met her best friends… and it was also where she saw monsters from another world come to try kill her and everyone she cares about.

And it was where she lost the brother she didn't get to truly know it was too late… _Billy._

"Hey, Mad Max," Lucas said, his voice pulling Max out of trance. "Are you okay?"

Max looked at his fiancé and mustered a smile. "Yeah, I'm good. Let's go find Dustin; I kinda want to beat the crap out of him for dragging me back into this place."

Lucas laughed. "I thought it was me who made you come here."

"Do you want to get punched in the face, _Stalker_?" Max teased.

"No, Ma'am." Lucas winked.

Stepping out of the car with Lucas, Max took a deep breath and sighed. "Welcome back home, Maxine… welcome home…"

**Hawkins, Indiana**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Finally, I've managed to finish another one.

This is Mileven-centric as the pair takes almost the entirety of the chapter. So that settles things for now: the Neo-grownups (Nancy—the leader, Jonathan, Steve and Robin) will be tracking down the Awoken in Philadelphia; Mileven will try to hunt down the Awoken in Chicago and Team MadMax will be having 'fun' in the gala back in Hawkins.

As for the Mind Flayer's Awoken: they are composed of willing followers and the Flayed. Those who are willing to serve the Shadow Monster are called Initiates and the ranked ones are Acolytes—these Upside Down worshipping cultists are given a set of abilities such as shadow walk (similar to how Demogorgons travel from one place to another).

Next chapter will up as soon as I can.

And please, reviews are very much appreciated. I hope you enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoy writing it.

Stay tuned:

Coming soon… Chapter Four: The Trail

* * *

**Netflix's STRANGER THINGS belong to THE DUFFER BROTHERS**


	5. Chapter 4: The Trail

**CHAPTER FOUR: The Trail**

**Netflix's STRANGER THINGS belong to THE DUFFER BROTHERS**

* * *

**Chicago, Illinois**

_We are the Awoken. And he wants you gone, Jane_—it sent shivers down El's spine. Unlike the others, Funshine's words echoed; like multiple voices spoke all at once.

"This one is an interloper." Funshine grunted, nodding at Mike. "Please drop your weapon…"

El did so, not taking any chances especially with two armed hostiles. Her gaze drifted from Mike to Kali who were both unconscious.

"Her mind… was resilient… she would not give in…" Mick mused, pointing a gun at Kali. Like Funshine's, her voice resonating as well. She circled around El who remained frozen. "Both of your minds would be a great asset to our ranks… but… the Shadow God says otherwise… he wants you dead…"

El heard the unmistakable click of a gun being loaded. "I'm sorry Jane…" Mick apologized with no actual remorse in her voice. "You are too impure to be part of his perfection… you and your sister doesn't have a place in his vision…"

Mick let the gun's barrel touch the back of El's head. "Before we kill you… we'll make you watch us kill him first."

Funshine heaved Mike in front of El—and a small wave of relief flowed into El as Mike groaned softly. Mick directed her weapon at him instead—the sight of Mike inches away from death shot anger into El's chest. First they took Kali and now they're threatening the man El loves.

_I don't want anyone else getting hurt…_ _especially you._

"Stay away from him." El's tone was unstable with pure anger. Mick looked at her, amused with her El's outward defiance but the gun stayed. "I'm warning you…"

"_What are you going to do, child?"_ Funshine purred and his voice was no longer his. _"Toss each of us across the room? Break our necks like twigs? Are you going to kill us?"_

The realization struck El: they were flayed. The Mind Flayer is indeed behind all this—the Shadow God, the Great One of the Awoken; it was him all along.

El tensed. Funshine was right: she can't fight with or without her gun. Besides, using it was useless against six people—all flayed, being controlled by the Mind Flayer—closed in on her and the knocked out Mike and Kali.

Of course, she couldn't use her powers: they were gone.

"_I have observed you silently in my realm, child." _Axel said, grinning sinisterly. He aimed his gun at Kali, adding fuel to the fire in El. _"You were weakened in our last encounter… but when your sister called out for help, you heard her…"_

"_Why not use your gifts against us?" _Dottie cackled. _"Come on, child… show us what you can do…"_

El can't do anything but let her frustration boil. Funshine grabbed Mike by the throat, waking him up and squeezed. Mike croaked, slowly being choked to death. That's when El felt something like a jolt of electricity.

"No… no… no… _NO!_" El screamed.

Driven by instinct, El thrust her hand at Funshine who instantly dropped Mike as he was suddenly flung away by an invisible force. The big man crashed into the wooden doors, shattering them to rubble. Mick and the rest looked surprised, wiping off their expressionless faces. El herself was shocked.

_Wait… did I just—? Did I just…_

"_Kill them."_ Dottie roared with a deep anger-induced voice.

Before Mick and Axel could react, their handguns flew out of their hands as El broke their arms with a quick of her head. Despite the danger she was currently in, a smile escaped El's lips—and a trail of blood began trickling from her nostrils. It has been ten years and the feeling was liberating. _I am actually doing this!_

"You bitch!" Axel howled in anger, clutching his injured arm. He glanced at Mick who was busy wailing in pain. "How can we stop someone who can throw people with her mind? The Great One—"

He stopped when El flicked her hands, sending him flying at Dottie. The unnamed man snarled and ran towards El with a murderous intent flashing in his eyes. "The Shadow God wills your death!"

"I don't think so." El snapped as she easily pushed the Flayed away by shoving her hand forward. The man crashed in the pews—the impact didn't kill him but it was enough to put him out cold.

Gunfire rang—Mick had recovered one of the pistols. El lifted her arms, sending the shooter into the air. The other flayed woman dove for the other gun but was too slow: El had propelled her jump to a different direction, making her land face first on the floor.

Mick aimed, floating from El's powers. The pistol however was twisted along with her remaining good arm. Mick squirmed—having two broken limbs made her exhale then went unconscious. She fell to the floor and so did El.

"El… y-you just—how did you—?" Mike was wide awake, his mouth hung open. He just witnessed her launch a bunch of people in the air. "Um, your nose… it's bleeding."

"Tired…" El managed to say, grinning.

The two of them smiled at each other for a brief moment until a deep roar broke out from the doorway. From the debris, Funshine emerged filled with wounds and frenzy. He staggered to El and Mike's direction in a slow but horrifying way. His left leg was mangled yet he kept moving, flinching with each step.

El got back to her feet and grimaced. Funshine was in pain but to the one controlling him, he's just a vessel: a temporary vessel. "Let him go."

"_He is part of me, child!" _Funshine hissed; the Mind Flayer speaking through him. _"I have consumed his mind and the rest of the Awoken!"_

El scowled. _The Awoken… _The Flayed kept saying that in referring themselves and it was now clear—"Your Awoken… it's an army of the Flayed."

Funshine let out a menacing laughter. _"Not just an army… though there are some who are forced to serve... the Awoken: they bow down to me. They are my… devoted followers. They worship me and I will uplift them to perfection!"_

"You really are a monster!" El spat. She has spoken with the ominous being from the Upside Down once, but this time the Mind Flayer seems to be a lot talkative—but El had enough. "Let go of them and leave us alone, NOW!"

A strange the surge of electricity course through her once again. El saw both Mike's and Funshine's eyes widen. _What're they staring at?_

"_What is this?" _Funshine growled, backing away with alarm evident in his voice.

It was when El noticed at her hands: they were glowing faintly—purple wisps of light swirled around her arms. El curled her hands into a fist; it felt natural and it made her smirk. "Whoa."

Acting on impulse, El charged towards the big man. Pausing for a second midway, El leaped in a height that she (or anyone else) normally could reach. Screaming on top of her lungs, El landed her fist on Funshine's face. The underground chamber was shaken as the flayed was once shoved to the debris for the second time.

El, who was knocked back as well landed beside Mike. She groaned, her whole body aching instantaneously. "Ow… ow… that stings…"

"El, a-are you okay—I mean… El, y-you just—" Mike stammered.

"I know…" El assured, trying to get up. She was looking at Kali intently, motioning Mike—who understood—to go check on her. Sitting up, El sighed. "I just did."

She picked up her slightly damaged walkie which was crackling with white noise: "—stopped following—I repeat: Hicks—stopped following—Hop, do you copy—?"

"This is Hopper. Red, I need you to get Valdez, tell him to bring some back up."

* * *

**Hawkins, Indiana**

"You're so beautiful." Lucas said with a dreamy smile. Max raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. Her fiancé tried to wipe the silly look his face. "I mean uh, um... you're wow—I mean—"

"Stop talking, Stalker." Max teased as she moved closer. She eyed him from head to toe and winked. "I know I'm beautiful and you're not shabby yourself."

She gave him a quick kiss on the lips—which left Lucas smiling again—and returned to the mirror. Max sighed at her reflection: ever since she went to college, her fiery hair has always been cut short. It was El's idea and Max didn't hate the result. She glared at her dark blue dress—Max never liked wearing them but this was (as Dustin put it) a very formal event; so with a small persuasive speech from Lucas, Max reluctantly agreed to put on the most gala-worthy among her clothes: the blue dress El gave her two years ago.

"_You know how much I hate dressing up like this, right?" _Max said when she first saw the dress.

"_Yep, that's why I got you one." _El giggled. Despite Max's annoyance, El's enthusiasm was too genuine. El hugged her from behind and laughed. _"Happy birthday, Max."_

"Well, at least El will be happy to know I'm now wearing this." Max sighed. "And I'm relieved that it still fits."

Lucas put his arms around her. "You are the most beautiful woman that I have ever known."

"But not as perfect as Phoebe Cates?" Max joked.

"You are transcendentally far perfect than Phoebe Cates." Lucas chuckled.

"Is that so?" Max turned to face her fiancé and kissed him. "I love you, Lucas."

"I love you too, Max."

* * *

Dustin wasn't kidding, the gala was very formal. As Max and Lucas stepped inside the massive doors of the famous Crawford Manor, Max couldn't help but stop and stare. The manor felt like a castle with the people as the king's subjects walking to another pair of doors to the left. The foyer was well lit with the golden chandelier hanging above them. Spiraling on both sides were two stairwells leading to the second floor but the men in suits and the visible wires made it clear that no one's allowed up there.

The Mansion was built five years ago by Dr. Crawford, the same Robert Crawford whom Dustin will be working with in developing a 'top secret' project—which will be revealed tonight. The manor was located in the edge of Hawkins, near the old Sattler Quarry. When Max pointed it out, Lucas began theorizing that the place was built specifically in there because of the dangerous experiments that Dr. Crawford is known for. Max gave him a quick jab with her elbow, preventing further conspiracies.

But frankly, Max was a bit interested with whatever Crawford has in store for the night. If the dangerous experiments are true, Max wanted the front seats. While she hasn't been the nerdy type like her fiancé and friends, Max is pretty much still on board the curiosity voyage.

_Curiosity voyage? Seriously, Max?_

"There's my most favorite couple!" Dustin's familiar voice and jolliness instantly caught both Max and Lucas' attention. The scientist wore a suit and tie that Max got déjà vu from looking. Dustin walked to them then did a twirl. "Glad you can make it, Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair."

"Dude, is that the exact same suit you wore in the Snow Ball of '84?" Lucas asked, beating Max to the question.

Dustin's gleeful demeanor fell. "It's not the same suit: I had it made to resemble the one I wore in the Snow Ball of '84. And thank you for noticing. Max—" He did another twirl. "—so: what do you think? Eh? Eh?"

"Yeahhh—nope..." Max shook her head.

"Whatever," Dustin brushed it of (he literally brushed his sleeve). "So to the moment, here and now: I officially welcome you to Crawford Manor."

Lucas gave his friend the slow clap but the sarcastic gesture only made Dustin bow.

"Come on, this way to the banquet room—or hall, rather." Dustin said, already going for the doors. "I'll introduce you to Dr. Crawford himself.

Lucas instantly followed, leaving Max to roll her eyes and trail after them.

"I'm seriously marrying this nerd." She muttered sarcastically.

* * *

**Chicago, Illinois**

Finbarr wasn't red when El showed up in the station. To her relief, the captain just was pacing back and forth in his office, only stopping when he heard Valdez knock.

"Hopper, Valdez: take a seat." Finbarr grunted. Captain Hector Finbarr was a fifty-two year old man sporting a bushy mustache. He was at least six feet tall and he would always unsettle anyone with his permanent scowl. The only indication whether he's really angry is when his face turns red.

Luis Valdez took the wooden chair adjacent to the captain's desk, leaving El to sit on the other chair like Valdez's or the cushy recliner that no one—not even Finbarr—uses. The reason behind it was a story that El could never piece together. Some say one of the former captains died there, others insist that it was a precious possession of the precinct's first Captain who passed it down to his successors. However, skeptics like Finbarr and El would say it's just a La-Z-Boy.

El propped herself in the soft cushions, wincing as her body ached.

"So... Detective Hopper..." Finbarr said as he too sat down. "I thought you were out for a little reunion with some friends for a week. I didn't expect you back this early—and the fact that you just caught the gang you've been tracking down for almost a year is quite impressive. It's unexpected yet impressive."

El was expecting Finbarr to be angry or at least be disappointed but she's apparently safe from an angry superior. She was able to smile and nod. "Just doing my duty, Captain."

Finbarr nodded. His eyebrows furrowed, shifting to Valdez. "Back up was late but I see Detective Valdez got your back—I kinda expected him to be your accomplice back in that underground chamber under St. Thomas."

Valdez awkwardly nodded. "I um, was not aware Detective Hopper was back in Chicago, sir."

"Yeah... and why is that?" Finbarr pointed out.

El froze. _Oh shit... here we go._

"To be honest sir, I didn't expect to take down Kali and her crew—much less spot them going to St. Thomas." El lied, fidgeting the blue hair tie in her wrist. She hated lying but growing up made her master it; fixing her saying from _'friends don't lie' _to _'friends don't lie; unless it's for her friends.'_

"That doesn't explain Dr. Wheeler's presence in the scene," Finbarr inquired. "And I'm curious on how you managed to take out even hostiles without using your gun."

_God, I hate lying..._

"I was with Dr. Wheeler—who came to visit—when I saw and followed one of Kali's men into the chapel. I didn't notice him come after me. To be honest, I would be dead by now if he wasn't there."

Valdez and Finbarr fell silent.

"Hold up," Valdez raised his hands. "You beat up an entire gang with an archaeologist? An untrained archaeologist—he helped you take down seven people?"

El lifted an eyebrow. "That's what happened. If it weren't for Mike's help, I could've been killed. It's not like I have superpowers or anything."

The last part was the most unbelievable yet the true but from the amusement in Finbarr's face, El got the clear. "What's wrong, Valdez; losing points from a guy who spends his time in pyramids?"

Valdez opened his mouth to say something but faltered.

"That's what I thought." Finbarr snickered. He turned back to El. "Jane, I'm going to need a report on this. You did a damn good job. Spend the rest of your week off; I believe you earned—and need it."

_I think I deserve more than 'the rest of the week'. _El wanted to say.

"You got it, sir." Ignoring the pain, she stood up and shook her captain's hand.

* * *

**Hawkins, Indiana**

Lucas never thought he'd meet one of his idols in real life yet there he was shaking hands with the great Richard Crawford.

"It is an honor to finally meet you, Dr. Crawford." Lucas said, grinning uncontrollably.

The scientist laughed. Crawford was already in his late fifties and donning a dark suit and tie would make anyone think twice id he was actually a scientist or a mafia godfather from the seventies. "Dr. Henderson here wasn't exaggerating when he said you were a fan, Mr. Sinclair."

"Amen, sir." Dustin raised his glass.

"I hope you're enjoying the night so far?" Crawford turned to Max with a kind smile. "Dr. Henderson said you two are engaged and I wish express my regards, Dr. Mayfield."

Max returned the scientist's smile. "Thank you, Dr. Crawford and the place is amazing."

Just then, a girl who was around ten to twelve years old approached, waving her hands as she did so. When she finally bumped into Crawford, the girl exclaimed: "Daddy, I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Ah, Stella my dear, I'm sorry." Crawford apologized then gestured at Dustin then Max and Lucas. "Dr. Henderson pulled me aside to his friends. This is my daughter, Stella; Stella, meet Lucas Sinclair and Dr. Maxine Mayfield—she's a doctor."

"She's a doctor like you Daddy?" She tilted her head with the question. Crawford shook his head and Stella's eyes widened. "An actual doctor: is it true?"

Max smiled. "Yep, I'm Doctor Maxine Mayfield."—she stooped down and shook the girl's hand—"You seem eager about doctors, Stella."

"I want to be one, Dr. Maxine!" Stella giggled. "My Mom too was a doctor like you!"

Max didn't ask where the girl's mother was—Dustin did mention Crawford's wife had died seven years ago, leaving Richard Crawford to raise their child alone.

Crawford gently pulled Stella aside and chuckled. "Stella, why don't you go and take your seat. Dr. Henderson, let's get going too: the presentation is about to begin."

Dustin finished his drink and followed Crawford to the banquet hall's center. Stella gave Max one last smile before skipping to one of the tables.

"He seems nice." Max said as she and Lucas went to their own seats.

"Nice? Max, he basically gave his blessing for our wedding!" Lucas said with frantic grin. "Oh man! This is one of the best days of my entire life!"

Max frowned. "Make sure our wedding day and the rest after that will be the best among the best, Stalker."

"Um, yeah— of course, those will be the best—why won't they… right, babe?" Lucas gulped.

Max didn't get to have another retort when Crawford's voice boomed through unseen speakers. "Ladies and Gentlemen… a pleasant evening to all, and I once again welcome you to Crawford Manor!"

Applause filled the hall. Crawford's merry laughter cut through the cheers. "It's not a secret that I have had my lab set up below this very abode, and while giving a tour within the facility may sound nice but regulations say it's not allowed—I'm sorry for that folks—but: fortunately for all of us, I was given freedom to unveil my latest project to everyone present tonight!"

More applause erupted from the guests.

"Without further ado," Crawford declared. "Dr. Henderson: bring it up!"

Max watched the floor split into patterned lines, spreading apart to allow a tall arch-like object appear for all to see. The device's surface was glistening with the dark metallic material it seems to be made of, drawing Max to wonder what it was.

"After the Advanced AI, the Super Battery and the Chaos Field—behold the revolutionary offspring of all three: the Doorway!" Crawford announced.

"This device is a conduit for us to actually peer into the beyond." Dustin supplied. "Dr. Crawford's team and mine will be working together to develop it further."

"Dr. Erikson and Dr. Henderson's group from the California Institute of Technology is a great addition to the project. My dear friends: this is the future!" Crawford said, earning more praise from the people. "Imagine humans traversing through the possible multiverse! Or perhaps develop the means to reach outside the Solar System with ease! This is the Doorway to the greatest leap humanity will be taking!"

Lucas was among those cheering in awe but Max was uncomfortable with the idea. _Traversing through other realities? Other realities like—_

"—the Upside Down…" Max murmured.

It was a gut-feeling but the fear was there: a Doorway to other worlds is just another Gate to another summer of 1985.

* * *

**Chicago, Illinois**

"Trust me, okay?" El was telling Valdez as the two of them made their way through the hospital wing.

Valdez's frown ever since they left Finbarr's office. He stopped abruptly and ran his fingers through his hair. El knew her partner hated being in the dark and her being vague was not helping.

"I trust you, Jane; really, I do but I feel like you're not telling something." Valdez sighed. "And you just busted our case with another guy who wasn't your partner or even a cop."

El heard the dismay in his voice. Her partner was genuinely upset.

"Luis, listen." El began. She sat down on one of the benches in the hallway and motioned Valdez to sit next to her. Still unmoved, he remained standing with his arms crossed.

"I'm all ears, Jane."

"Uh-huh." El said, her brain racing to find the proper words. "I'm sorry I cracked the case without you."—She paused. _I can't tell him the truth...—_"Luis, I know you hate being left out but hear me out: there are some things I cannot tell you—it will only put your life in danger."

Valdez shot her a quizzical frown. "What are you, some kind of a spy or something? I mean, if that's so, what about Dr. Wheeler? Is he some sort of undercover agent too?"

It was El's turn to raise an eyebrow and snicker. "You and your eccentric mind, Valdez: it never gets old but to answer your questions: no, Mike and I are not like James Bond."

"Then what's going on?"

El pursed her lips. She can't let her partner be dragged into the mix since Mike willingly joining her quest was already too much.

"Remember when we first met?" El asked, getting a nod from Valdez. "Remember when you asked about my Dad?"

"James Hopper, he was a local hero back in your town." Valdez correctly stated.

Setting up a 'compromised lie', El stared straight into her partner's eyes: "The people—the bad men, as I used to call them—who were responsible for his death, they're back. Kali has been the key in finding those people. Mike is an old friend; he was there when I lost my Dad and he was also there when I promised to find whoever was responsible. This is personal and it's all about me getting revenge; and you don't need to get yourself caught in this."

Valdez's grimace slowly melted away. He sharply exhaled and sank down on the bench with her. "Damn, that's... heavy."

"Yeah..." El agreed. She hates lying but Hop's death was a reality she wished to be untrue. And the idea of revenge wasn't far-fetched. "It is heavy."

"I get it, you want to avenge your Dad but I'm your partner and I want to help." Valdez insisted. "This Mike may be an old accomplice but I bet even Red and his boys are better henchmen. And of course, there's me: the perfect sidekick."

El lightly punched his arm and smiled. "I admire your loyalty, partner but if you really want to help, let me handle this, okay?"

Valdez waved his hands in defeat. "Okay, Hopper: you win but if you ever need back up—who is a cop and not just an archaeologist—I'm here, alright?"

"I know." El smiled. "Thanks, partner."

* * *

**Hawkins, Indiana**

Max would always snoop around when she knew something's off. When the Doorway sank back to the ground and the party resumed to its high class crud, she saw two men staring at her with blank expressions. They were weird and Max was sure that they didn't blink.

Lucas and Dustin were occupied with one of Crawford's patrons, discussing about the allegory of the flea and the acrobat. Max didn't bother telling them about the strangers that seemed to have vanished. She scanned the crowds for any signs of them and caught sight of Crawford instead.

He was exiting the banquet hall—which was weird: _why would he leave his own party?_

Determined to settle this alone, Max trudged through the crowds, going towards the exit. Back in the foyer, Max saw the old scientist striding briskly to the hallway across the banquet hall. She eyed the security guys and formulated her plan. Approaching one of the deadpanned guards, Max mustered her own poker face and stood straight.

"Good evening, ma'am." The guard greeted. "Upstairs and other rooms aside the venue for the gala is off limits. What may I do for you?"

"Don't you know who I am?" Max said with a sharp scowl.

The man exchanged looks with his fellow guard who shrugged in confusion.

Max grimaced. "I am Dr. Erikson, the scientist from Cal Tech—I'm working with Dr. Crawford."

The guards tilted their heads. One of them coughed. "I thought Dr. Erikson was a man."

"How dare you!" Max gasped. "Do you want to get fired?!"

"N-no ma'am; I'm sorry, that was very insensitive of me—"

"Ugh, I'm going to tell this to Dr. Crawford myself! Now if you excuse me, since I just saw him pass by here, I'm going after him! He'd want to know about his disrespecting staff."

None of the men tried to stop her but Max kept the charade of being an offended scientist. When she finally confirmed that security isn't taking action—no guards, even cameras, Max mentally scolded herself: she had just realized the fact that she doesn't really have a plan.

_Damn it MadMax._

The hallway stretched a long while and Crawford was nowhere to be seen. Max was about to give up until she heard a muffled yell: "Sonofabitch!"

Max identified the door where the voice came from. The one who just cussed was Crawford—him swearing made the man he met a while ago another person. Another voice said something in an assuring voice: "Calm down, Richard."

"This cannot be, Morris!" Crawford said with his voice hoarse. "The _Guiding Voice_ said interlopers will interrupt my work and the presence of a hundred guests is putting me on edge!"

"My men are stationed everywhere," Morris said. "It's impossible for anyone except for the invited guests can enter—"

"No! Didn't you understand me, Morris?" Crawford snapped. "Maybe the Organization has f-finally sent spies! T-they want to steal—or worse, destroy my work! We cannot let them!"

"The Organization doesn't know anything." Morris said in another attempt to cool off the situation.

"Then who were those men, Morris? If they're not party of my guests or spies from the Organization, who are they?!"

_He saw them too._ Max noted—whoever they were, they obviously have something against Crawford; but why?

"You better get back to the gala, Richard." Morris said. "The people are looking for you. We'll pick this up again soon. Don't worry; my boys and I will take another look around."

That was her cue. Max has heard enough as she scurried away from the door and back to the banquet hall.

_Apparently, there's an Organization with spies and a Guiding Voice. _Her head was buzzing with everything she had heard.

Hawkins was, still is, and maybe will be forever a strange town hidden by the thin facade of normalcy.

_It's good to be home—not!_

* * *

"Max?" Lucas' voice was full of concern. "Where have you been?"

Max grabbed her fiancé's arm and dragged him to the least crowded part of the hall—away from Crawford who was already there, talking to Dustin.

"Remember the _dangerous experiments _you mentioned earlier?" She asked, to which Lucas slowly nodded. "I think shit's about to go down."

* * *

**Chicago, Illinois**

"Hey..." Mike said when he saw El approach with Valdez. He stood a few feet from Kali's hospital room, looking very haggard.

El didn't say anything, immediately giving Mike a hug. Although he was bruised and bandaged, seeing Mike okay eased El a bit. The body pain screamed all over her torso but she didn't let go.

"I'm glad you're okay." El whispered.

"Y-yeah, me too." Mike stuttered, hugging her back.

Valdez cleared his throat, forcing the embrace to break apart. The other detective excused himself to check on the perps and shuffled away. Mike and El shared an awkward laugh before going in for another hug. It didn't last long like the first one as El pulled away.

"Mike, aren't you supposed to be in hospital bed?" She asked.

"I told the doctors that I'm fine. It took a couple of tries until they finally let me go." Mike meekly grinned. "I went to look for Kali's room, thinking you'd be in there but—"

"Is she—?"

"Still out. I'm sorry, El." Mike said, shaking his head. He held her hands and gave her a reassuring smile. "Hey, let's check her out, okay?"

The two of them went through the door of Kali's hospital room. A uniformed officer saw El and left. In the bed, Kali was still unconscious and it broke El's heart seeing her that way. It has been eleven years and they never got in touch but now that they're finally together, one of them wasn't awake.

El stood beside the bed and reached out for her sister's cold hands.

"Kali," El said softly. "I came as fast as I could... I'm so sorry."

Suddenly, everything faded into darkness; only El and Kali remained.

"Jane!" Kali's eyes fluttered open and her hands crushed El's gently hold. "He's here!"

"Kali, you're hurting me!" El yelled—she could see the frost slowly creeping from Kali's fingertips to her wrist. She tugged with all her might and broke free from her sister's the icy grasp but doing so sent her falling down her back.

When El got up, Kali dematerialized and the underground chapel began to form around her. Only one person stood before her. Seeing him made El freeze; normally, the Void allows her to see without anyone noticing her, but she was crystal clear to man staring directly at her.

_"Eleven?_" Will whispered in distorted voice. He was still wearing the same button up shirt he wore at Russel's but it was dirty and crumpled. He was shivering with both of his arms wrapped around him. His voice was frail, like he's in pain. _"El, i-it's r-really y-you. P-please help..."_

El began to tear up. _No... No, no, no..._

"Will, w-what happened?" El cried out, frustration seeping in her throat.

Will's pained expression didn't fade away as tears rolled down from his bloodshot eyes._ "He's back, El a-and he has m-me and more p-people... it won't be long u-until—" _He let out an agonized scream. El tried to get closer but stopped when Will lurched forward._ "—h-he's close to taking over!"_

"Tell me what to do!"

"Hawkins! I'm b-back in Hawkins... the M-Mind Flayer is planning something b-big! Hurry—" Will's body shook. "No… it's too—"

He abruptly vanished and El was all alone. She fell to her knees and started sobbing. First it was Kali now it's her brother in danger.

—_late... you are too late..._

The unmistakable growl of the Mind Flayer filled the Void, finishing Will's sentence. El let rage fill her as she craned her neck at the Void's dark sky. Red lightning flashed, adding a different hue to black background.

_You want to save him—and everyone? Do you still think you can stop me? Come then... I'll be waiting in for you..._

"I'll be there... and I'm ending this." El said.

And she was pulled back to reality where Mike was able to catch her collapse in sudden exhaustion. She could only one word: _"Hawkins…"_

* * *

**Philadelphia, Pennsylvania**

"Jolly Fisher and Co." Robin squinted at the sign. "I guess this is it."

The four of them were the only people present in the docks—which made Robin uneasy. She was afraid more strangers would jump out of nowhere and attack them again. The guns that the Byers brought offered little comfort because Robin is uncomfortable with firearms as well.

After the Awoken's attack, Jonathan managed to convince his wife to plan their move. The Silver Cat Cafe was fortunately closed for the day, making it the perfect place to regroup. They spent a couple of hours trying to pinpoint who the attackers were, basing on the fish logo in three of the Awoken's shirts. The discussion was mostly an argument whether they go ahead with guns a blazing or call for cavalry. Nancy was hesitant at first but she reluctantly relented and began texting.

_"Okay, I've sent a request code." _Nancy said when everyone stared to fixate on her._ "What? These guys are... too aligned with protocols and crap. These government guys aren't exactly one call away."_

_"A bunch of guys just vanished when the lights went out," _Steve mumbled from the break room's couch. _"Isn't that gonna get their attention? I mean if that's not insane enough for them to get packing and head out immediately, I don't know what is."_

_"I wish it were that simple." _Nancy sighed.

Robin didn't like bureaucrat nonsense the 'g men' would always give them. When Starcourt was destroyed, Robin and everyone else present during the Russian invasion/monster summoning were interrogated then were told to keep quiet afterwards. But what pushed Robin to dislike the suits is their untimely tardiness in providing 'cavalry'. Like Nancy would love to say: _it is bullshit._

"So how are we breaking in?" Steve raised the question, swinging his old bat-with-nails.

They have surveyed the port and confirmed it was abandoned like Robin said so—it was her who deduced the logo in the strangers' shirt to be Jolly Fisher and Co.'s. Nancy wasn't convinced until they have search the entire surrounding.

Jonathan eyed the relic of a weapon in Steve's hand. "You kept that?"

"He did." Robin affirmed. "After the thing made out of melted people and a girl who formerly could move things with her mind; I'm not saying I doubt Steve but he told me he used it to beat a bunch of monsters back in the day."

"I did!" Steve frowned. "Jonathan, tell her I did."

Before Jonathan could say anything, Nancy snapped her fingers. "Guys, focus."

Jonathan sheepishly nodded and rushed to join his wife who was already standing by the warehouse's doors. Robin shrugged and winked at Steve's clear annoyance. The four of them positioned themselves in front the warehouse.

_One... two... _Nancy mouthed. She loaded her gun followed by Jonathan doing the same while Steve nodded, poising for action. Robin took a deep breath and gave a thumbs-up. _I'm here for moral support, guys._

_"_Three."

The four of them barged in the room. Robin had imagined the whole scenario—more of the Awoken were waiting; Nancy and Jonathan starts to rain in bullets at them; Steve diving in with his bat; and her hiding behind a crate or something—but reality delivered disappointment.

The warehouse was completely empty—no cultist; nothing at all.

"Um, are you sure this is the place?" Steve asked Robin who silently nodded.

Nancy didn't lower her weapon. She moved in further signaling the others to search the place. Robin went with Jonathan, being the other person with a gun. The four of them later rendezvous when Steve called out the other pair to his and Nancy's location.

Robin gasped when she saw the wall painting. "Is... is that—?"

"The Mind Flayer..." Jonathan finished.

It was a depiction of a huge shadowy creature (Dustin had showed her a sketch of his, explaining it as the true from of the monster that she had personally seen back in 1985). The Shadow Monster was looming over a cluster of buildings that could neither be Pennsylvania nor New York.

Beside the disturbing artwork was a message written in red that Robin hoped to be just paint. Steeling her nerves, she read it to herself: _"He has shown us the way."_

Robin noticed the figures around the buildings: they seem to be bowing down to the Mind Flayer. "The Awoken... they are worshipping it... but they're flayed, right?"

"I... don't know." Nancy said. "This place, it's Hawkins."

Robin tensed. "Why would they make something like this—what does it mean?"

"It means the Mind Flayer is back... and whatever the Awoken are—Flayed or not—they're in Hawkins." Nancy said. She got her phone from her pocket and dialed.

"Are you calling the kids—I mean El and the others?" Steve asked. Robin couldn't stop the smug smile in her face. She knew how Steve could be a total dingus yet be an overprotective brother figure to the now grownup kids. Erica would often joke about Steve being a mom.

_Wait... if Steve's the mom that makes me the... the fun aunt. Yeah, right..._

"No," Nancy answered, still waiting for someone to answer her call. "The Party has been through enough with the Mind Flayer—especially El and Will. I don't want them to get into this mess with us. We are here now, not them: it's up to us to finish this..."

She paused and looked at Jonathan.

"It's what Joyce would do... it's what Hopper would do."

Jonathan nodded in agreement. Steve sighed and leaned against one of the crates. Robin didn't say anything, so she let her gaze go back to the ominous painting of the Mind Flayer.

The four of them never really talked about it but after Jim Hopper's death, they found themselves filling in the role of keeping everyone safe. Nancy took the responsible gravely than the others; she even became Hopper's replacement as codename _Antique Chariot._

"Hello? This is _Antique Chariot_." Nancy said as the other line finally picked up.

"Nancy? I was about to call. Fiddlesticks, new phones, huh?" A man's raspy voice answered. "So I was informed that HQ got your message, telling me you called in a high priority alert. What's going on?"

"Dr. Owens, it's back." Nancy said with her voice a bit shaky. "And it's in Hawkins."

"You don't mean—" Owens' words fell short. "Nancy, whatever you do: you need to wait for the Organization to send in reinforcements. If that 'thing' is really back—"

"Wait for reinforcements? The Mind Flayer is back for goodness' sake!" Nancy half yelled. "Who knows what that monster is up to now? Doc, we need them now!"

Owens sighed. "It's not that easy, Nancy. There's a process: the higher ups have received your message and are now currently assessing the necessary precautions—"

"Bullshit!" Nancy cursed.

"Nance..." Jonathan put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.

Nancy ignored her husband. "That's bullshit! Just tell it to me straight, Doc: are they coming or what?!"

The scientist was silent for a moment. "Nancy, I'm sorry. The truth is that most of the board is dismissing your claims. They believe the situation has been handled ten years ago..."

Nancy was about to burst when Owens fumbled his words and continued: "But it doesn't mean I'm not on your side. I may be old but I still got a good grip within the Organization. Good thing I'm on my way to the board right now. I will make them listen; convince them to get their heads out of their asses. Maybe I'll get the Hierar—er, anyways: I promise I'll do everything I can. For the meantime, don't do anything... rash, okay?"

Nancy's answer to that was obvious. "Get them to listen, Doc. Antique Chariot, out."

She ended the call, not bothered to wait for another word from Owens. Nancy faced her husband whose face was grim.

"We're going to Hawkins, aren't we?" He asked.

Nancy took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes... and we're on our own."

* * *

**A.N:**

This took a lot longer to be finished. It's also the longest chapter so far. Here, a bit of Lumax thrown into the mix while also introducing Dr. Crawford and his connection to the strange things in Hawkins. I added a scene with El and her partner Valdez too just to show her other relationships outside the Party.

So big reveal is that the Mind Flayer has completely taken over Will—now El has to go back to Hawkins. Nancy's group will be headed there too, still hoping for Owens' reinforcements (yeah, they're gonna be late like all backups do). Everyone is headed back there and soon, things will get much stranger than before.

By the way, I sometimes edit some chapters, expect some changes from time to time (sorry). Please leave reviews, corrections and comments—they are really appreciated.

Coming soon... Chapter Five: _Compos_ _Mentis_

* * *

**Netflix's STRANGER THINGS belong to the DUFFER BROTHERS.**


	6. Chapter 5: Compos Mentis

**CHAPTER FIVE: **_**Compos Mentis**_

**Netflix's STRANGER THINGS belong to THE DUFFER BROTHERS**

* * *

**Hawkins Suburbs**

Lucas has lived his fair share of crazy moments. He got flung away by a telekinetic force; got chased by shady government agents and saw a van fly over their heads; use his famous wrist rocket at a monster; hunt down—and be attacked by—dog-like creatures; set a living tunnel on fire; and fight a monstrosity of melted human/rat flesh with fireworks.

Out of all that mess with the Upside Down however, the craziest thing that has happened to him is meeting Max Mayfield. Asking her to the Snowball of '84 was more unnerving than shoot rocks at the Demogorgon. When they started dating, it was Lucas' never-ending task to win Max every time they would frequently _'breakup'._

Proposing to her on the other hand was the biggest feat Lucas has ever done—and when Max said yes, he knew that in that moment he was the happiest man alive.

Max Mayfield has been his happiness for a long time.

So when his fiancée has dragged him to snoop around the residential area of Hawkins, Lucas didn't hesitate and went along with it.

"Guiding Voice," Max muttered. The two left the hotel early, going to the suburbs where Max had hoped to find answers. "Whatever that is it was vague yet eerily particular, Lucas. And what's with the Organization bull about? Oh, god… do you think whatever's happening is somehow connected with the ones who used to run—"

"—Hawkins Lab?" Lucas finished. He paused and placed a hand on Max's shoulder. "Slow down there, _Zoomer_. I know you think something big is working behind the scenes back at Crawford Manor, and trust me I think so too. But if we want answers, getting jittery and all stressed out isn't gonna help."

Max took a deep breath and nodded with her blue eyes fixated in Lucas'. "Yeah… I'm sorry. It's just… everything was all falling into place until we stepped foot back in this… cursed place."

_Hawkins… man it has been a very long time since…_

"Yeah… I know." Lucas noted, pulling Max closer to an embrace. "Now let's keep our heads cool, yeah? Mr. Clarke's not gonna want his old students to give him a tense visit."

* * *

**Mirkwood, Hawkins**

The drive was quiet. It took a lot of convincing to have El take a rest during the trip but Mike finally took the wheel of her gray Pontiac.

After El told Mike everything she saw back in the hospital, the two of them rushed back to El's apartment, leaving immediately afterwards. Thankfully, Valdez guaranteed that he'll be covering for El's sudden absence—though Mike noticed the detective scowling at him.

_What's his problem?_

The thought of Will being taken by the Mind Flayer made Mike's stomach churn. His bestfriend has been through that nightmare before and knowing he's reliving his hell on earth once again. It left a bitter taste in Mike's mouth—frankly; he was pissed off with the events that came out of nowhere. If he could punch the Shadow Monster (he obviously cannot but he can dream); he would happily beat the hell out of it.

"Mike…" El's soft voice interrupted his thoughts. "I… I-I'm sorry."

Mike's eyes didn't leave the road but he subtly shook his head. "What are you sorry for?"

"You got hurt again because of me…" El said faintly. "When I saw Kali, unconscious and helpless… and then with Will under the Mind Flayer's grip; I-I… I don't want you to get—"

"Hey… El, don't worry," Mike assured her, reaching out for her hand. "I made a promise and believe me, getting into that mess back with the, um, Awoken wasn't all that bad—" He paused, somehow feeling El's confused frown. "—um, what I meant is that: it was awesome… seeing you fight all those guys, I was just… amazed."

Mike was telling the truth: he was genuinely stunned from one, how El regained her powers and from two, how she looked… beautiful and badass at the same time.

_You are weird, Mike Wheeler. _Mike scolded himself.

They haven't discussed how El got her abilities and Mike wasn't going to push it since she was also oblivious when she was suddenly able to _'spy'_.

"You… think I'm amazing when I throw people with my mind." El teased. "But when I'm just an ordinary non-super powered cop, I'm not?"

"Um… yeah…" Mike chuckled in embarrassment.

El laughed but immediately stopped with a sigh. "Mike: I don't want to lose you… after what happened to Hop… I can't go through that ever again. Kali could be in a coma and Will is in the clutches of an interdimensional monster… I just can't."—El leaned against the window in her side—"The hurt is good but… it stings; it stings very badly."

Those words conjured an image of the gruff Jim Hopper in Mike's head. Although the two of them left things in complicated terms, the man who took care of El played a big part in all of their lives. He was their defender from the dangers spilled forth by both the world and the Upside Down. Mike didn't say it out loud but the old police chief has been a better father than his actual Dad.

Out of everyone he swore to protect, it was El he had cared the most. He became a father to the telekinetic girl he found in the middle of the woods—and that girl became Jane 'El' Hopper.

"_He's gone, El!" _Mike's anger-fueled yell from three years ago echoed. "_Stop drying out the desert!"_

"_So am I just going to give up?!"_ El shouted in frustration.

Back in the present, Mike nodded. "You won' lose me, El. I promise."

With one hand in the wheel, Mike glanced at their still holding hands—her 011 tattoo was visible and it reminded him the time Subject Eleven turned into El. The silence between them resumed. The atmosphere became heavy and the memory began to resurface: it was three years ago.

Mike was pacing back and forth, pinching the bridge of his nose. And there was El standing by the window, clutching the blue hair tie she wore as a bracelet in her left wrist. Like the present, an uncomfortable stillness filled the air.

"_I can't stop now, Mike." _El said with her voice ragged. _"I know he is still out there."_

"_El, he's been gone for seven years—this is getting ridiculous!" _Mike groaned, marching towards El.

El gasped, throwing her head back in irritation. _"Ridiculous?! Mike, is it ridiculous to hope?!"_

"_If it's in your case, then yes it is!" _Mike frantically waved his hands with an ironic grin in his face. _"You are barely present during our reunions; you left Nancy and Jonathan's wedding very early; according to your precinct, you've been frequently absent the past few months; and—"_

"—_and what Mike?!"_

It was then when Mike's anger took him: _"And you don't even seem to acknowledge 'us' anymore! You always shut me out; ignoring both calls and texts—hell you even act like I don't exist whenever I visit you!"_

El's eyes were wide and teary. _"This isn't about you, Mike! It's about my Dad!"_

"_Who says it's about me?! This is about us, El! I'm looking out for the two of us: our relationship!"_

"_You don't know how much pain it is to lose a father, Mike!" _El screamed, stepping closer to confront Mike. _"You don't know how it felt, having the man who took you in disappear from your life! And I'm sorry if I've been out of the blue lately. Hopper is still out there—my Dad is still out there—"_

"—_no, El: your 'Dad', the man you only spent a year and a half with is not out there! He is gone; Mrs. Byers saw him sacrifice his life so end that damned monster from killing you! We had a funeral for him like the rest of those who died! El, you need to face it: Jim Hopper is dead! Looking for him is turning you into a ghost!"_

Mike saw El's face crumble into a slate with no signs of emotion. Mike opened his mouth to say something but his voice failed him.

"_Goodbye, Mike…"_ El whispered and left.

The memory ended when Mike felt El's grip tighten on his hand. Mike sighed and squeezed back. Dustin and Lucas were right: Mike is still in love with El and they really need to talk… properly.

He has so many things to apologize for.

* * *

**Hawkins Suburbs**

Mr. Clarke didn't seem to have had aged a day (minus the greying hair) since the last time Max saw him—which was her middle school graduation.

"Lucas, Max!" The science teacher said gleefully when he opened the door, recognizing his unexpected guests. "This is quite a surprise. Come in, come in."

Max and Lucas exchanged looks before entering the house. It was this man; the charming teacher from her middle school days, Scott Clarke seemed very excited for visitors. Max recalled the Party's nerdy Dungeons and Dragons Quests where Mike used Mr. Clarke's persona for the various quest keepers. Max wasn't gonna disagree; her former teacher fitted the characteristics very well.

In the living room, Max and Lucas settled down on one of the sofas as Mr. Clarke cheerfully went to grab something to eat in the kitchen. When he returned, Mr. Clarke set down a tray of cookies on the coffee table and then took a seat in the La-Z-Boy.

"So, what brings two of the old 1984 Hawkins Middle AV Club back to Hawkins?" Mr. Clarke winked. He casually picked up a cookie before clearing his throat. "Wait, are you two… well I presume two are still together—are you getting married?"

Max's eyes widened and she was about to stumble with her words until Lucas let out a strained laughter, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head and did the stumbling instead. "Um… yeah; we actually are and… I—um, we would like you to be there."

_Lucas! _Max shot her fiancé a quick glare, then flashed a sweet smile at Mr. Clarke.

"Oh, that's delightful! Congratulations!" Mr. Clarke chuckled, reaching out to shake hands with the couple. "So when will it be? Say it and I'll be—wait, aren't you gonna have invitations or something?"

"Oh, um… about that…" Lucas' smile faded. "We… haven't finished the cards yet…"—he gave Max an apologetic shrug before continuing—"And we haven't really set a day for the wedding."

Mr. Clarke was visibly puzzled now. "Okay… so…"

Max pursed her lips and sighed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Clarke but we're actually here to talk… concerning Hawkins."

The science teacher grimaced. "And here I thought this was just going to be a friendly visit…"

Lucas fumbled his words. "Mr. Clarke, hear us out—"

"Are you two… investigative journalists… or…" Mr. Clarke asked in a hushed tone. He kept his eyes fixed on Max's. "Are you of _them_?"

Max tensed. "Who do you mean by _'them'_, Mr. Clarke?"

Mr. Clarke looked around, his stare lingering at the windows a little longer. His shoulders relaxed before exhaling sharply. "I know I can trust you so listen; two weeks ago, men in suits came by telling me to leave town. I, of course remained adamant with their strange request. Then they went on to tell me something about a disaster coming to Hawkins… a disaster that is apparently going to… endanger the lives of many people… they didn't say anything else and I didn't push 'em. Then they left, telling me to keep quiet."

Max and Lucas were frozen in silence. Men in suits and acting elusive were never good in the Party's book. Whoever they were, Mr. Clarke's previous visitors were obviously government guys and according to the Mike, El, Dustin and Lucas; they became fugitives on the run from a group of _bad men_ that fit their MO back in 1983. Max never got the chance to be hunted by evil G-men and she wasn't wishing have been.

"These… men…" Lucas began. "Do you think they are linked with Crawford Manor?"

"It's possible that they're working for government." Mr. Clarke suggested. "It's evident from the suits all the way to their manner of doing things—structured and precise."

Lucas gestured Max to tell Mr. Clarke what she had heard back at the manor. She took a deep breath and began retelling the night; from the odd strangers to eavesdropping Crawford and a man named Morris—leaving the part about a _Guiding Voice_. When she finished, Mr. Clarke sank in his recliner.

"Dr. Crawford is one of the most brilliant minds of our time and I was very enthusiastic when he moved his entire business to Hawkins." The science teacher said. "Dr. Crawford's arrival was unexpected and pretty odd—heck, I was utterly shocked when he personally publicized that he brought his entire laboratory from Nevada to Indiana! So whatever mind-blowing experiments he's been up to since he came here must be top secret enough that required a change of location. It's more like an escape from watchful eyes to me."

Max raised her hand like she was back in Mr. Clarke's classroom. "If the men who came to you are CIA, it doesn't make sense for them to spy on Crawford—I mean, I thought his works are government sanctioned."

"Apparently, most of them are but this current project of his—according to rumors—was almost halted by the government but Dr. Crawford somehow got it approved." Mr. Clarke said, stroking his chin wistfully. "Well, I'm not flabbergasted that the man is being spied by the CIA, right now. Dr. Crawford's latest work must be absolutely groundbreaking."

"The Doorway: that's what he called it back in the gala." Lucas said. "It's—well, theoretically—an inter-dimensional gate, right? Well, what if the government wants it for themselves? That's why they're sending in spies."

"Or maybe they're trying to destroy it." Max offered. "What if this Doorway is too dangerous that the government tried to pull it out?"

"Now that's a dilemma." To Max's surprise, Mr. Clarke sighed. "Are you sure you two are… not investigative journalists or agents of sorts—because you appear to be up to something."

"I swear that we're not, Mr. Clarke." Max assured.

Mr. Clarke nodded, clearly trusting his former students.

"You said Dr. Crawford was talking to someone: Sullivan Morris…" He muttered, revealing the other voice's full name. "He's Crawford's chief of security. I met him once when Dr. Crawford convened a symposium at the manor. He's ex-military and a Vietnam War veteran. Morris is a cold man; I can tell you that—complete with dark beady eyes and a stern soldier's complexion. If you two are planning to dig around for answers, it would be wise to avoid that guy and his men."

"Oh, we won't be snea—" Max said but was cut by Mr. Clarke's dismissive smirk.

"Something big is going to happen in Hawkins and government agents are creeping around town, putting Dr. Crawford on edge. Then you two show up, searching for answers." The science teacher beamed. "I feel like I should tell you to stay away from this brewing storm but you guys aren't middle schoolers anymore. Investigative journalists—secret agents or whatever: the voyage still sails. If you're trying to get to the bottom of this—and I know you will—I'm glad I got to help."

* * *

Max and Lucas were escorted by Mr. Clarke outside, having casual small talk—as if their earlier conversation was all bright and chipper. Before the two of them could leave, Mr. Clarke handed Lucas a key.

"What's this for?" Lucas asked.

"It's a key to the new Hawkins AV Club alumni building—the one your _'Party' _had as your project, remember?" Mr. Clarke laughed when Lucas' face was struck with realization. "It's been a long time since you and the others were here. The building is done and alumni across the years would come for reunions there. It was unfortunate that you guys disappeared almost without any way of contact, I hoped you were around at the opening."

"Mr. Clarke, I'm sorry we left Hawkins—" Lucas bowed his head.

"No worries. I hope the whole gang will visit next time." Mr. Clarke winked. "You guys left but you're still intact, not to mention on the road to a new chapter of your lives." He pointed at the rings in both of their hands making Max and Lucas smiled. "I can't stress this enough: I am happy for you two."

Lucas shook Mr. Clarke's hand. "When we have the date set; we'll give you a call Mr. Clarke."

"Will do," Mr. Clark agreed. "You to take care of yourself—I mean it: this endeavor you're going do is definitely going to be a mess."

"You take care too, Mr. Clarke." Max said shaking hands with the teacher.

As the pair made their way back to the direction of their car, Mr. Clarke jogged after them. Max and Lucas stopped and in a soft voice, Mr. Clarke panted: "I nearly forgot: the suits—the men who came to my house; one of them may have blurted out something vital about their _Organization._"

"They're not CIA, now are they?" Max raised an eyebrow, feeling a strange tinge of certainty.

The science teacher affirmed with a grim nod. "Maybe not but whoever their higher-ups are, the G-men cryptically calledthem: the_ 'Hierarchy'."_

* * *

**Downtown Hawkins**

"It's weird but I kinda missed this place." Robin mumbled as she stepped out of the car. The four of them agreed to ride one vehicle, taking the Byers station wagon instead of Steve's BMW.

Downtown Hawkins looked like it was frozen in time; nothing changed and Robin felt like she never left the place. They had parked in front of the Palace Arcade which was next to where Steve and Robin used to work for. A kid came out of the arcade, smiling at Robin as he walked on by and she gladly reciprocated.

Robin remembered the good old days back in the Family Video: costumers would come and go, while Steve complains about his weekend and constant misfortune and she would laugh at his misery; then the Party led by Nancy's little brother Mike would enter, fresh from the arcade, looking for someone to annoy and Steve was the suitable target.

"Man, the nostalgia." Robin mused out loud.

Steve's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Really, you miss this hellhole? If you, I'm sorry to tell you that I don't feel the same way—I hate this place."

"Do our feelings always need to be mutual, Dingus? The last time you thought we had something intimately mutual, you got burned—hard." Robin snickered.

"Shut up." Steve grunted in annoyance.

The two of them made their way to the Byers who were in the middle of a deep discussion. Nancy was the one who noticed Steve and Robin approach, dropping her conversation with her husband.

"Who knew we'll be back here one day?" She asked nonchalantly. She scanned her surroundings. "Hawkins… crap, this takes me back."

"Yeah, it does." Robin agreed. "Hey Dingus, you wanna visit the old Family Video? Maybe Keith's still there—I'm sure he'll be delighted to see you again."

Steve waved Robin dismissively, turning to Nancy then to Jonathan. "So, what's the plan?"

The married couple shifted uncomfortably. Jonathan cleared his throat and let out a shaky breath. He walked towards his car and brought out a folded paper and Robin guessed it was a map. He unfurled it, revealing a charted version of Hawkins on print.

"Nancy and I have been talking about how we're going to try looking for the Flayed—or the Awoken," Jonathan said, placing a finger on the map. "If they are really here in Hawkins, the places they could go would be in these places and first is the warehouse. There's a chance that the Shadow Monster will reuse Brimborn Steelworks as its base of operations. Another possibility is the abandoned Hawkins Lab. It's been uninhibited for years now; the Awoken could use it as their hideout. Lastly, a worst case scenario would be this—" With his index finger, Jonathan encircled the entire town. "—the Mind Flayer's cultists… they could be entrenched amongst the local populace; dormant and ready to strike when activated."

Robin shivered. Unlike the three of her companions, she was the least experienced with the strange and dark side of Hawkins. In 1983, Nancy and Jonathan trapped a monster with the help from Steve. In 1984, Nancy and Jonathan exposed an illusive government lab's secrets while Steve teamed up with Dustin, Max and Lucas to track down a dog-like creature and later fight off an entire pack of them. In 1985, well that was history for Robin Buckley—ice cream slinger turned into an Russian code cracker and infiltrator of an underground Soviet base below Starcourt Mall. Then there was the flesh-spider.

The craziest part of 1985 to Robin however was becoming close friends with Steve 'the Hair' Harrington.

"Jesus… that would be very, very bad…" Steve murmured. He ran his fingers across his glorious hair. "We can't take them down if that's the case—unless we're planning to enter every single residence in Hawkins."

Nancy and Jonathan looked at him blankly. Robin just groaned in disappointment. Steve shrugged. "I was joking."

"Right…" Jonathan said awkwardly. "So… how are we going to do this?"

All eyes flew to Nancy. Robin was never a leader and so was Steve, Jonathan could be but it was clear to the four of them that Nancy was the best candidate to spearhead their group. This time however, Nancy looked unsure. Robin knew that expression too well: it was doubt. Nancy Byers, the Miss Perfect of Hawkins High was hesitant.

Robin never knew Nancy well during their high school years but she always saw her as a prissy type of girl—unwavering and confident. Robin watched her shoot guns and chuck explosives like a total badass so seeing Nancy unable to make up her mind was so unnatural.

"Um, Nance: are you okay?" Steve prompted.

Nancy was about say something but she paused. She squinted at something and Robin was compelled to follow her gaze: it was a gray Pontiac. The four of them stood in silence as the sedan pulled over. Robin's mouth hung open when the passengers got out.

Jonathan spoke up, breaking the tension. "W-why are you h-here?"

"Let me ask you the same thing: why are you here?" Mike Wheeler said as El Hopper waved hello sheepishly.

* * *

**Crawford Manor, Hawkins**

Dustin was about to infiltrate Crawford Manor.

He was adamant with what he was going to do but Max was a force to reckon with—and Dustin didn't take his chances against the fiery Zoomer.

It was his official first day working with Crawford's team. Dustin's dream was basically being laid before him but his actualized was interrupted he received a friendly text message from Lucas.

_Max and I are still in town. Wanna grab lunch before we head back to San Francisco?_

Dustin, a guy who doesn't want to miss out a nice lunch out with good friends left the confines of Crawford's Lab. He imagined a proper send off with Max and Lucas (since it will be a lot of months until they get to see each other again) but it was all a big lie: there was no lunch, only a redhead with a not-so-big 'request'.

He was about to enter Enzo's when he was yanked into an alley. Dustin was more of a lover, not a fighter—as his girlfriend, Suzie would always say—so all he could do was yell for help. A pair of hands suddenly covered his mouth: it was Lucas.

Then Max appeared, assaulting him with a barrage of questions and statements; all pointed to Dr. Crawford. Dustin was very much aware with a few of what she said—he works for the guy, for goodness' sake. He knows about the last minute approval of Project Doorway, the head of security being stone-cold, and even Dr. Crawford's paranoia with the government (thus his personal security force and augmented surveillance system); but Dustin knew about these things because his superior shared it himself. The project's head scientist briefed Dustin's team when they first came to the manor.

To his defense, Dr. Crawford never trusted Central Intelligence and their bureaucratic crap due to the fact that they took his Advanced AI and almost cost him to lose authority on the Super Battery Project. To Dustin, Crawford was just a man of integrity, protecting his passion for science from those who threaten it.

But Dustin felt anxious when Max mentioned about the likely presence of government spies lurking around Hawkins and the unpleasant encounter with Dr. Brenner and the other _bad men_ came flooding back.

"_The Doorway, Dustin," _Max had said. _"What if its near cancellation was because the government saw it nothing but danger? Something big is going to happen and we believe it's all centered in Crawford Manor."_

Dustin's resolve softened as Lucas added: _"Dude, the Doorway… if you think about it: doesn't it remind you of… the Gate… and the Russian Key?"_

He was right. When the project was pitched in to Dustin and his team, he was too excited to weigh what the Doorway actually was; it was indeed another Gate—another opening for the Upside Down to plague the world again.

"_Um… no," _Dustin protested; with a slight hint of uncertainty in his voice. _"The Gate was accidentally opened by a girl with telekinetic abilities when her powers were pushed to its limit; the Key on the other hand was built by commies who wanted to win an arms race against the US and the Doorway is nothing like those! It's an innovative invention that aims for the well-being of humanity! Besides, the man behind it is not like Eleven or the Russians—Dr. Richard Crawford of good intentions."_

"_I know you don't want to think your idol is some kind of bad guy but…" _Max said calmly. _"From what I learned during my life here in Hawkins; things and even people aren't always what or who they seem…"_

Dustin sighed. "I'll prove them wrong… please let them be wrong."

He was back in his room facing his laptop. The device beeped and through his earpiece, a sassy voice snapped: "You nerds really love getting yourselves in trouble, huh?"

"I just need to prove that your brother and future sister-in-law are wrong." Dustin replied, his eyes darting across multiple windows present on the screen.

"Uh-huh," Erica snickered. "You're lucky that you cat me not doing anything yet on Spring Break, nerd. Man, Crawford Manor's security mainframe is insane. Whoever runs this place had the best firewalls set up. It's almost impossible for most hackers to decrypt—but do not fret: I got this."

Dustin watched as the windows began spewing down codes. As a physicist, Dustin was never into computers—not that he hates them but he prefers the traditional use of pen, paper and board. He was an advocate for the use of such tech, and seeing the green text come to life in the display made Dustin admire the marvels of technology even more.

"And it's done." Erica announced proudly. In a synchronized manner, the windows disappeared leaving one file. "All you got to do is click on that fella over there."

Dustin grinned. "Thanks, Erica. I couldn't do this without you."

"I'm flattered but really now? I kinda expected you call your dear Suzie-poo to help you in these things." Erica chided.

"Well, Suzie is busy with her own research works back in Arizona and a secret college nerd on Spring Break is way more convenient to lend a hand." Dustin chuckled.

"I'm not a nerd, nerd." Erica corrected in irritation and Dustin could imagine her pouting. "Well, is that all? Or do you need something else?"

"All is good, Erica." Dustin assured. "Seriously, though: thanks."

Erica didn't say anything at first but when she spoke, Dustin noticed the absence of the usual sass. "You nerds better be careful, alright? Tell my brother, Lucas Charles Sinclair to stay out of trouble or he'll be in trouble with me."

Dustin sighed. "We will, I promise. Again, thank you."

"You're welcome, nerd. Scoops Trooper Erica Sinclair: signing off." Erica said with her sassy attitude back. And with that, the earpiece went silent.

"Okay; I hope Max and Lucas are wrong about this…" Dustin muttered to himself. He placed the cursor on the single icon in his screen. "Time to dig some secrets: initiating Operation _Job _Jeopardy."

_Click_

* * *

**Driscoll Farm, Hawkins**

Jonathan couldn't stop pacing back and forth.

A while ago, he was shocked to see Mike and El to in Hawkins on the same page as his group. Nancy was quick to reprimand her brother but immediately switched into hugging him. As Jonathan smiled at the precious moment the Wheeler siblings were sharing, El literally tackled him with a hug.

"_Whoa there," _Jonathan laughed abruptly as El buried her face on his chest. _"El, are you crying? What's wrong?"_

"_I-it's Will… the Mind Flayer has him…"_

After catching up and swapping information, the six of them drove to a place Jonathan never though he'll be stepping foot again: Doris Driscoll's abandoned farm house. It was Nancy's idea that the forgotten abode of the unfortunate Doris would be a great place to set their plan in motion.

"_If my brother is taken by that monster, we need to move now." _Jonathan said, gritting his teeth in desperation.

"_Dude, you need to calm down. We don't even know where the monster's followers are, much less the location where it took Will." _Steve said casually, trying to avert Jonathan's rising panic. He looked at Nancy then at the map laid on top of the Pontiac's hood. _"Let's get some progress done here, shall we? So where do we begin?"_

"_Tracking down the Awoken this way isn't gonna work, Dingus." _Robin said, drawing an 'x' on the paper. _"Maybe we should wait for the cavalry. We can't do this on our—"_

"_No, we c-cannot sit and wait when that thing is out there with a fanatic cultist!" _Jonathan snapped. He took a deep breath and scowled. _"I'm not going to wait any further; my brother is in danger!"_

Nancy placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. _"Jonathan, please calm—"_

"_Nance, I can't let Will go through this all over again! What if he's flayed? You saw what happened to Billy! To the Flayed! Nance, I can't—"_

"_I can find him…" _El's voice caught all of their attention. The detective straightened her leather jacket and stepped forward. _"I can find Will and the Awoken—or better yet, lure them to us."_

Everyone aside from Mike was speechless when the map folded itself without anyone touching it. Jonathan looked at the woman he has grown to call his sister and saw a thin line of blood flow down her left nostril.

"Hey," Nancy nudged Jonathan's side, pulling him back to the present. "Are you okay?"

Jonathan gave her a weak smile. "No… I'm trying to keep it together but… I should h-have been there to answer his call, Nance. Maybe we could have acted a lot sooner…"

"Jonathan…"

"I feel like I failed as his big brother once again, Nance." Jonathan winced, letting the tears fall down. He felt his wife put her arms around his waist, letting him feel her warmth.

"We'll save Will." Nancy said. "I know we will."

"I hope so…" Jonathan sighed. He turned around to face her with their foreheads touching. "I really hope so."

* * *

_More people I care are risking their lives…_

El sat in the middle of the empty living room floor with Robin's handkerchief in hand. When she requested a place where they could bait Will and the rest of the Flayed from hiding, El didn't imagine a farmhouse complete with a barn in the back. When Nancy mentioned it belonged to the late Doris Driscoll, El felt a surge of guilt through her chest.

She was the old lady who was flayed and was ultimately merged to the fleshed form of the Mind Flayer. _One of the many people El never got to save._

"There you are," Mike said, appearing in the doorway. He awkwardly shuffled to El and settled down next to her. He looked uneasy which made El wonder if something was wrong (aside from the whole Mind Flayer mess of course). "Um, can we talk?"

El smiled faintly. "Sure. What's up?"

Mike's eyes didn't meet hers but El saw his dark brown spheres glint with remorse; another skill she developed as a detective.

"I need to say, I'm sorry." Mike said; his eyes finally fixated on El's.

El raised an eyebrow. "Mike, you don't have to apologize. If there is someone who needs to do so, it would be me. It's because of me that the Mind Flayer is after us and—"

"It's not about that." Mike cut in. He pinched the bridge of his nose and chuckled weakly. "Maybe now's not the best time for this but… once again, it feels like the world is ending and I can't shake the bad feeling of going on further without talking about these things with you. I've been unfair to you, El and I'm so sorry."

"Mike…"

"It's just that… I hope to fix the damage between us that we chose to ignore." Mike shook his head. "Come on, El: I know we seem to be okay—acting casual like everything is fine but we're not. Our relationship; our friendship was ruined and… it's my fault."

El didn't say anything, prompting Mike to continue. "I was unfair, El. What I said about your Dad was out of line. I was just so frustrated… but I know I was just being selfish. I wanted you all to myself but I didn't even bother knowing how you were feeling through those times. I was supposed to comfort you but I hurt you instead… El, please forgive me.

The silence took over but they never left each other's gaze. It has been three years since that disastrous argument that cost their relationship. They had spent a few months subtly avoiding each other but they started to patch things up like their fight never happened. She never said it out loud but ever since they broke up, El would force herself to act like she was not hurting but she was. Pretending like her heart wasn't broken whenever Mike was around—it was hell. Now, Mike had just poured out his feelings and El was speechless. She placed a hand over his, smiling as she did so.

"Mike, I've been unfair too. I was stubborn like Hop was, I guess," El said, shrugging innocently. "I was stuck in that dark place: grief. I let it take over me and I… began to care less about everything and everyone; especially you, Mike. I'm so sorry that I made you feel like you didn't even matter… I was so caught up with my desperate search for… for—"

"El…"

"Mike, you were right: I was becoming a ghost, chasing down a ghost." El smirked sadly. "I was so distracted with the pain that I missed Hop's point. The hurt is good but it must only serve as reminder that we are out of the cave; not an anchor that would keep us from truly moving on. I became distant and indifferent—and I needed a wakeup call: your pull to reality helped but… the damage was done..."

El's voice faltered. "I'm sorry, Mike; I took you and everyone else around me for granted."

The sun was beginning to set, reflecting an auburn glow on their eyes. El leaned closer, her eyes filled with tears. They were holding hands now, enjoying the quiet moment between them.

"El…"

"Mike…"

"Um, am I interrupting something?" Mike and El turned to see the older man standing in the doorway with a bewildered expression.

"Hello there, Steve." El said with a lopsided smile. Her hands loosed in Mike's and slowly, both of them let go.

"Right, hello there too." Steve said, still baffled with his inconvenient intervention. He gestured at Mike with his bat: "Your sister needs you in the barn; she says something about arming yourself properly."

Mike gulped, gravely nodding at Steve.

"Well, I better get going." Mike sighed as his eyes returned to El. "Just so you, know: my promise still stands and I'll be with you through the end. So, um, I guess we'll be picking things up from where we left off after this?"

El couldn't help but smile. "I'd like that."

What was hurt will be mended. Healing takes time… _but it will be worth the wait._

* * *

**Crawford Manor, Hawkins**

"Remember, I had to pull all my cards to get you two back here." Dustin explained as he led the way, navigating through the vast hallways of the manor. "You two are my visitors and Dr. Crawford was kind enough to let you in for a 'tour'."

Max just rolled her eyes. What mattered to her was that they're in. The guards from last night were replaced by new faces, relieving her fear of getting recognized. Dustin's high clearance played a big role in getting pass through the electronic locks. For some reason, most of the security force was called in for what it seems to be a meeting. Max knew that Lucas' sister Erica took care of the surveillance system but the guards' absence was convenient for their task.

"I still can't believe my sister managed to break through Crawford Manor's security system." Lucas mumbled.

The three of them kept going—even pass the room where Max had heard Crawford and Morris talking—"That's the library, Dr. Crawford's office is a bit further ahead." Dustin said when Max brought it up.

The manor was void of people except for the trio and instead of providing comfort; it made Max suspicious of her surroundings. She kept eyeing each surveillance cameras, constantly convincing herself that Erica had taken care of them. In the back of her head, the she was cautious that something bad might happen.

After a while, the three of them are now standing before the massive doors to Crawford's office. Like what Dustin said, it wasn't electronic, making his key card useless. This is where Max comes in. From her pocket, she fished out a leather case and began pulling out its contents.

"Your fiancée carries lock-picking tools with her?" Dustin said, looking at Lucas who just shrugged, being clueless as well.

Max grinned to herself. She had broken into locked rooms using hairpins and paperclips before but putting her actual lock-picking kit to use was a first. The delicate tools gleamed in her hands; good thing Dustin got them in without getting searched. Max would always bring it with her: it was one of the last things that reminded her of Billy since the set was formerly his.

_Billy, that damn douchebag…_

With a satisfying clunk, the doors were unlocked. Max smirked: "_Open Sesame_."

She packed up the tools and pushed the massive doors, letting herself in with Dustin and Lucas falling behind her. The trio paused and surveyed the room. There were two shelves filled with books and beside them were four file cabinets. The study has no windows but there were ventilation vents ("It's too small for you to fit, Dustin. You even enlisted my sister's help to get in one in Starcourt—and that was ten years ago!"). Crawford's desk was in order from his desktop computer to the folders that were neatly stacked.

Max exchanged anxious frowns—Dustin's screamed: _this-is-a-bad-idea_, while Lucas' glowered: _stop-being-a-baby, _but Max's was just said: _you-two-shut-it-and-start-digging._

* * *

**Driscoll Farm, Hawkins**

The Void wasn't empty.

Up in the sky, a storm loomed and flashing red lightning against the black backdrop. She knows exactly what it was; it was the Mind Flayer.

_You really came… _The deep ominous voice of the Shadow Monster boomed. _Though I'm a bit disappointed… you really think looking for me will work unlike the last time? Didn't you learn from our last encounter?_

"Where is Will?"

As an answer, black smoke erupted from the ground and from it; the lone figure of Will arose.

_I see you still hold on to the hope of defeating me… _The Mind Flayer taunted. _You want him back? Well… he's on his way to you…_

* * *

"Did you guys hear that?" Steve asked upon hearing inhuman roar that pierced through the night. He warily clutched his bat as watched the lights of the old farmhouse began blinking on and off. "Um, Nance…"

Nancy didn't break a sweat, running immediately to the house. Jonathan was about to follow when a the earth broke open—and gnarled hands shot upward, accompanied by the familiar clicking snarls that Steve wished to forget. The creature fully emerged, poising itself menacingly before opening its petal like face to a roar.

"Holy shit…" The sight of those jagged teeth made Steve swear under his breath.

"Demogorgon…" Mike squeaked.

The monster then launched itself at them but Steve was fast enough to tackle Mike from getting mauled. The Demogorgon recovered and was not trotting to Steve and Mike's direction. Unaware of Jonathan, the monster prepared for another strike—raising its claws, growling intimidatingly as it did so.

"Hey, flower-face: over here!" Jonathan shouted, attracting the Demogorgon to him.

It didn't see the shotgun aimed for its chest.

_GGGRRRAHHH! _The monster screeched in agony, stagger back from the force of Jonathan's double barrel. It was hurt but not dead and Jonathan was eager to kill it, firing another shell. This time however, the Demogorgon seemed to take the hit and ignore the pain swatting Jonathan with its long forearms, hurling him to the open.

Switching from his bat to the handgun Nancy gave him earlier, Steve aimed and yelled. "Eat this, asshole!"

When Nancy opened the mysterious duffel bag she picked up along the way to Hawkins, Steve thought it was packed with clothes and not a whole assortment of guns. He had fired a gun before but only at target dummies, bottles, and cans—never something that moved—making the Demogorgon the first and Steve was glad it wasn't some animal or an actual person.

Some of the bullets ricocheted but a handful amount was embedded into the monster's thick skin, but it wasn't enough to stop it from charging at Steve. Steve got out of the way just in time deadly swipe almost slashed him into pieces.

"Oh no, you don't!" Steve yelped, dropping his pistol (which was out of clips anyways) and grabbed his signature bat-with-nails. He raised his melee weapon and struck the Demogorgon as hard as he could.

The monster lurched back, making Steve's fourth swing miss. It collected itself for a second before roaring in defiance.

"Shut up!" Mike barked. Successive cracks from the hunting rifle he was equipped with indicated the penetrating rounds being driven into the Demogorgon's back.

From the corner of Steve's vision, he saw Jonathan already up, limping and still clutching his shotgun, unleashing two more blasts just when Mike emptied his rifle. Their efforts however appeared futile as the monster recuperated from their every attack.

They're going to need a better strategy to take this thing down and soon enough, they'll be out of ammo. Steve's frantically looked around the farm, looking for something that may help. Despite the distorting of the lights, he saw something that may just do the trick.

"Keep it distracted!" Steve yelled to Mike and Jonathan before running inside.

Mike and Jonathan did their best to avoid the monster's wrath (good thing its wounds seem to be slowing it down, or else they'd be dead by now) and when Steve returned with a noisy machine in his hand, everyone—even the Demogorgon who ironically had no eyes—stopped and stared.

"Let's party like it's Texas." Steve grinned, a chainsaw whirring aggressively.

The monster growled, lunging itself to Steve who, in a swift motion, stepped sideways and thrusted his new toy into the Demogorgon's head. It wailed as the chainsaw began shredding its skull deeper. Steve instinctively let the machine go to evade the monster's claws as it desperately flailed its arms.

"It's not dying!" Mike pointed out.

"It will be." Jonathan grunted as he calmly directed his shotgun at the Demogorgon.

The chainsaw was eventually dropped to the ground and the monster was now screeching in bloody rage but was silenced by Jonathan who blew its head off. The headless Demogorgon collapsed to the ground, twitching for a few seconds before becoming still.

Jonathan too fell to the ground in exhaustion and Mike quickly rushed to his side. Steve panted, collecting himself from what had just transpired. For a moment, things were tranquil until—

"Nancy—Robin—El—"

* * *

**Crawford Manor, Hawkins**

"Guys…" Max's voice was hoarse. "You need to come and see this."

Lucas closed the last file cabinet and pried Dustin off Crawford's computer and hurried to Max. She was holding a folder she found inside a box disguised among the books in the shelf. In the front, it read:

_**C.H. and USA Department of Energy:**_

_**Hawkins National Laboratory**_

_**File 00022004: CRAWFORD, Richard N.**_

_**Status: discharged from Project H. Date: 01/06/1975**_

"N-no… why would Dr. Crawford's name be associated with Hawkins Lab?!" Dustin's words were shaky. "This is… impossible. I mean, he couldn't possibly be affiliated with that place, right?"

Lucas put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We're not sure as you are, Dustin."

"There's only one way to find out the truth." Max said to which Lucas and Dustin nodded in agreement.

Max carefully set it on Crawford's desk and opened the folder: inside it were newspaper clippings, photos and more dossiers.

"That's—" Lucas' eyes widened.

"—Brenner…" Dustin finished.

They were referring to a photograph where men and women wearing lab coats smiling at the camera with the towering building of Hawkins Lab in the back. In the middle was the man Eleven knew as her _Papa_; the enigmatic Dr. Martin Brenner who was the only one wearing a dark suit and tie. Next to him was no other than Dustin's superior: Dr. Richard Crawford.

**Project H. – Hawkins National Lab. Team (1969)**

"Dr. Dustin, Dr. Mayfield?" A girl asked, startling Max who almost dropped the folder. The three turned to see the girl whom Crawford has introduced as his daughter Stella, standing in the doorway. She innocently tilted her head. "What are you doing in Daddy's office?"

"Oh, Dr. Dustin here was just showing us around." Max said, keeping it casual, shoving the files into Lucas who automatically hid it from the girl's view. "We were just about to leave—"

"Daddy hates it when people come here without invitation." Stella pouted.

"We were invited!" Max laughed nervously, motioning Lucas and Dustin to go for the exit. "Right, Dr. Dustin?"

"Y-yeah, they're invited and I was giving them a t-tour!" Dustin stammered with a forced grin. "Well anyways, to the next room: the—uh, um—kitchen!"

Stella moved aside as the three approached the doors.

"Well, this was nice." Max complemented. "Your Dad's office is remarkable but we really have to—"

The doors suddenly slammed itself shut; Max watched as the lock turned with a click.

"No…"

Max, Lucas and Dustin gently looked at Stella who was now glaring at them; blood oozing from her left nostril.

* * *

**Driscoll Farm, Hawkins**

Gunfire rang outside but El was too busy keeping Nancy and Robin safe while pinning a monster on the wall. It was a reminiscing scene: Eleven, the psychic experiment immobilizing the Demogorgon and later disintegrating it to oblivion.

"Are you okay?" El asked Robin without leaving the creature from her sight.

"Yeah, j-just a bit shaken," Robin said, with Nancy's unconscious body in her lap. "I can't say the same for Nancy, though."

El let her anger boil. _No more…_

Using her powers, she began to force the Demogorgon body to contort. It screeched in resistance but that didn't stop El from snapping its neck. The monster fell into a lifeless heap on the floor and El wobbled a little, almost collapsing.

"_A commendable act…" _Slow clapping followed by the ominous laughter of the Mind Flayer echoed around El. _"You and the interlopers managed to kill two of my last pets… it's impressive…"_

To El's horror, Will appeared—shrouded by black fog—his face was blank of emotion as he shambled to her. _"Hello… Eleven…"_

"Let him go…"

The Mind Flayer/Will chuckled—his disturbing ventriloquist puppet-like smile making El uncomfortable. He held out his hand and grinned. _"Come, child. Come and bring him home..."_

"El—"

"It's going to be okay, Robin." El reassured. "I need you to keep Nancy safe."

Steeling herself, she moved forward and took Will's outstretched hand.

* * *

_You were the one who bought us here… into your world!_

El was back in the Void and the Mind Flayer's red storm was still looming above—

_You let us in… but you kept us out!_

—and not far from her was Will, sobbing as black smoke danced around him—

_You and your… friends have foiled us long enough…_

—driven to get him out of there, El went and knelt down beside him, and the inky mist began enveloping her as well—

_I was defeated by a lesser being…_

—the smoke curled itself to El's mouth and ears, leaving hot sensation suddenly burn her lungs, suffocating her—

_My brethren disowned me; because they see me as weak... but I'll show them…_

—gradually, the smoke has now totally covered El—

_I'll show everything thing that exists the true meaning of perfection—and I'll start by obliterating you and your world!_

—and suddenly, images flashed, manifesting in the Void. She saw the Upside Down's Hawkins being overrun by demodogs that were unmistakably attacking each other as two giant shadowy beings clashed across the sky; red lightning flashing each time they collide. Out of nowhere, an arch-like device materialized and glowed, turning into tha Gate to the Upside Down. El's vision was whisked away to a lone mansion and from it, the Shadow Monster took shape. Behind it was Hawkins; not the Upside Down version but the actual town being consumed by darkness.

_All will come to share my perfection!_

"NO!" El screamed, feeling the same energy back in the underground chapel course through her and explode into a shockwave, dispelling the black smoke.

Everything vanished.

* * *

The Void was empty except for El and Will whose eyes were closed for some reason.

"Will," El gasped, grabbing her _brother's_ arms. "I'm here… it's me."

Around them, the Void changed. They were suddenly in the old Byers house. In the kitchen stove was Joyce, cooking what smells to be like bacon and eggs and helping her was Jonathan.

"_Good morning sleepy head." _Jonathan smirked.

Joyce giggled. _"Take a seat honey, breakfast is almost ready."_

"Mom, Jonathan?" Will called out but scene changed into a different setting, transforming into a basement—the Wheeler's old basement.

"_Will the Wise, your action!" _A young Mike prompted.

"_Taking risk isn't worth it; cast protection!" _Dustin insisted.

"_I'm with Dustin this time," _Lucas sighed. _"Remember the last time, we—"_

"_No, we need to be offensive,"_ Max countered. _"Will, you have to shoot a fireball at 'em."_

"Guys?" Will tensed at the sound of his friend's voices.

The scene shifted to a familiar bedroom—"This… this is our bedroom…" El said. "Back when we first moved to Maine. Before Jonathan moved to college, we shared the same room for a year... and when I cried from my nightmares, you would wake up and comfort me... do you remember?"

"El," Will eyes blinked open. He stared into El's eyes briefly for a moment before surveying his surroundings. "Is that you? W-where are we?"

"Yeah, it's me," El laughed, pulling him into a tight hug. "It's me… I'm here... you're here... your safe."

Will took a second to take it all in beforey hugging her back. He smiled and a single tear rolled down his cheek. "Thank you."

* * *

**A.N:**

Another chapter done: in this part, Max and Lucas are clearly reliving Jonathan and Nancy's roles from the original series-snooping around like the meddling kids they are.

I had to include Mr. Clarke in some way so here he is: still paddling in his curiousity voyage, offering aid to Max and Lucas.

A few members of the old Griswold Family—Mike, El, Jonathan and Nancy—reunite with Steve and Robin in tow as they fight off an Awoken Will and two Demogorgons—yep these baddies are back.

And yeah, the chainsaw part is inspired by both the Evil Dead and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

**To clarify:** the Flayed are basically under the total control of the Mind Flayer and share a Hive Mind, while the Awoken are cult-like, worshiping the Mind Flayer who can totally take over them if necessary. Acolytes are 'gifted' with Upside Down powers like teleportation and inhuman strength/speed.

The Latin phrase, Compos Mentis translates to "of sound mind". This reveals to Will's under the Mind Flayer—and El being able to free him from the Shadow Monster's control.

The biggest twist connected to this Latin phrase will be revealed in the next chapter, where a man's 'brilliant' mind isn't sound at all. Oh yeah, there's Twenty-one who is basically Eleven 2.0.

Please review, thanks!

Coming Soon... **Chapter Six: the Truth**

* * *

**Netflix's STRANGER THINGS belong to the DUFFER BROTHERS.**


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